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Alone  on  the  deep. 


GASCOYNE 

THE  SAI^DAL-WOOD  TRADER. 


\y  BY 


K.  M.  BALLANTYNE, 


AUTHOR  OF    "THE    YOUNG   FUR-TRADERS,"   "  WILD  MAN   01    THE 

WEST,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


WITH     ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
HENRY  T.  COATES  &  CO. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FAGK 
THB  80HOOHKB, 7 


CHAPTER  IL 

BUMPUS    IB    FIERY    AND    PHILOSOPHICAL  —  MURDEROUS    DEBIGN8 


FRUSTRATED, 


12 


CHAPTER  ni. 

A    BOUGH    WALK    ENLIVENED    BY    RAMBLINQ   TALK  —  BUMPUS    IS 

"AGREEABLE," 28 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  MISSIONARY  —  SUSPICIONS,  SURPRISES,  AND  SURMISES,  .  88 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  PASTOR'S  HOUSEHOLD  —  PREPARATIONS  FOB  WAB,  .  .  50 

CHAPTER  VI. 

SUSPICIONS   ALLAYED   AND   REAWAKENED,  .  .  •  .  •  03 

CHAPTER  VII. 

MASTER  CORRIE  CAUGHT  NAPPING  —  SNAKES  IN  THB   GRASS,  .  TO 


M103776 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  Vni. 

▲  SURPRISE  —  A  BATTLE  AT^D  A   FIRIS, 78 

CHAPTER  IX. 

BAFFLED  AKD  PERPLEXED  —  PLANS  FOB  A   RESCUE,  ,  .  9i 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE    PURSUIT  — POOPY,   LED    ON  BY  LOVE    AND    HATE,   RUSHES  TO 

THE  RESCUE, 100 


CHAPTER  XI. 

A  GHOST  —  A  TERRIBLE  COMBAT  ENDING  IN  A  DREADFUL  PLUNGB,  107 

CHAPTER  XII. 

DANGEROUS  NAVIGATION    AND  DOUBTFUL    PILOTAGE — MONTAGUE 

IS  HOT,  GASCOYNE  SARCASTIC, .  126 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

DOINGS  ON   BOARD  THE  ''  FOAM," 188 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

SREATER    MYSTERIES    THAN    EVER  — A    BOLD  MOVE    AND  OLETEB 

ESCAPE, 145 


CHAPTER  XV. 

REMARKABLE  DOINGS  OF  POOPY  —  EXTRAORDINARY  CASK  0»    BE- 

8USCITATION, 152 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A    "WILD    CHASE—  HOPE,     DISAPPOINTMENT,    AND    DESPAIR  —  THE 

^AIDAL-WOOD  TRADER  OUTWITS  THE  MANOF-WAB.  .  .  101 


CONTENTS.  5 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

PAoa 

THE  ESCAPE, 4  .  .  .  ITi 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE    GOAT'S  PA&S  —  AN    ATTACK,    A  BLOODLESS   VICTOEY,  AND    A 

SERMON, 185 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

BORROW  AND  SYMPATHY  —  THE  WIDOW  BECOMES  A  PLEADER,  AND 

HER  SON  ENGAGES  IN  SINGLE  COMBAT, 197 


CHAPTER  XX. 

MYSTERIOUS  CONSULTATIONS  AND  PLANS  —  GA8COYNE  ASTONISHES 

HIS  FRIENDS,  AND  MAKES  AN  UNEXPECTED  CONFESSION,  .  210 


CHAPTER  XXL 

TERRIBLE  DOOM  FOR  AN  INNOCENT  MAN, 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  RENDEZVOUS  —  AN  EPISODE  —  PECULIAR  CIRCUMSTANCES,  AND 

OTHER  MATTERS, 237 


CHAPTER  XXin. 

FLANS    PARTIALLY    CARRIED  OUT — THE    CUTTER'S    FATE,   AND  A 
SERIOUS  MISFORTUNE, 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

an  unexpected  meeting —  doings  on  the  isle  of  palms  — 

gasccyne's  despair, 259 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

PAOI 
BURLY   DICK  — TUE  RESCUE, 273 

CELAPTER  XXVI 

THE  CAPTUEB  AND  THE  FIRE,         ........  281 

CHAPTER  XXVn.    . 

FLEADI^G  FOR  LIFE, 291 

CHAPTER  XXVni. 

A     PECULIAR     CONFIDAKT— MORE    DIFFICULTIES,     AND     VARIOUS 

PLANS  TO  OVERCOME  THEM, 300 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

BUMPUS  IS    PERPLEXED  — MYSTERIOUS    COMMUNINGS,   AND    A    OTT- 

EIOUS  LEAVE-TAKING, 813 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


MORE    LEAVE-TAKING— DEEP    DESIGNS —BUMPUS    IN  A    NEW    CA- 
PACITY  


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


THE   AMBUSH— THE  ESCAPE  —  RETRIBUTIVE    JUSTICE—  A.ND  CON- 
CLUSION,           .... 


GASCOYNE, 
THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  SOHOOITBB. 


The  great  Pacific  is  the  scene  of  our  story.  On  a 
beautiful  morning,  many  years  ago,  a  little  schooner  might 
have  been  seen  floating,  light  and  graceful  as  a  seamew, 
on  the  breast  of  the  slumbering  ocean.  She  was  one  of 
those  low,  black-hulled  vessels,  with  raking,  taper  masts, 
trimly-cut  sails,  and  elegant  form,  which  we  are  accustomed 
to  associate  with  the  idea  of  a  yacht  or  a  pirate. 

She  might  have  been  the  former,  as  far  as  appearance 
went ;  for  the  sails  and  deck  were  white  as  snow,  and 
every  portion  of  brass  and  copper  above  her  water-line 
shone  in  the  hot  sun  with  dazzling  brilliancy.  But  pleas- 
ure-seekers were  not  wont,  in  those  days,  to  take  such 
distant  flights,  or  to  venture  into  such  dangerous  seas,  — 
dangerous  alike  from  the  savage  character  of  the  islanders, 
and  the  numerous  coral  reefs  that  lie  hidden  a  few  feet 
below  the  surface  of  the  waves. 

Still  less  probable  did  it  seem  that  the  vessel  in  ques- 
tion could  belong  to  the  lawless  class  of  craft  to  which  we 
have  referred ;  for,  although  she  had  what  may  be  styled 


8  GASCOYNE, 

4  wiclfcd  asi>ect^  and  was  evidently  adapted  for  swil't  sail- 
ing, neither  large  guns  nor  small  arms  of  any  kind  were 
visible. 

Whatever  her  nature  or  her  object,  she  was  reduced,  at 
the  time  we  introduce  her  to  the  reader,  to  a  state  of  in« 
action  by  the  dead  calm  which  prevailed.  The  sea  re- 
sembled a  sheet  of  clear  glass.  Not  a  cloud  broke  the 
softness  of  the  sky,  in  which  the  sun  glowed  hotter  and 
hotter  as  it  rose  towards  the  zenith.  The  sails  of  the 
schooner  hung  idly  from  the  yards  ;  her  reflected  image 
was  distorted,  but  scarcely  broken,  by  the  long,  gentle  swell ; 
her  crew,  with  the  exception  of  the  watch,  were  asleep 
either  on  deck  or  down  below ;  and  so  deep  was  the  uni- 
versal silence,  that,  as  the  vessel  rose  and  fell  with  a 
slow,  quiet  motion,  the  pattering  of  the  reef-points  on  her 
sails  forcibly  attracted  the  listener's  attention,  as  does  the 
ticking  of  a  clock  in  the  deep  silence  of  night.  A  few 
sea-birds  rested  on  the  water,  as  if  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  profound  peace  that  reigned  around  ;  and  far  away 
on  the  horizon  might  be  seen  the  tops  of  the  palm  trees 
that  grow  on  one  of  those  coral  islands  which  lie  scattered 
in  thousands,  like  beautiful  gems,  on  the  surface  of  that 
bright  blue  sea. 

Among  the  men  who  lay  sleeping  in  various  easy,  off- 
hand attitudes  on  the  schooner's  deck,  was  one  who  merits 
special  attention  —  not  only  because  of  the  grotesque  ap- 
pearance of  his  person,  but  also  because  he  is  one  of  the 
principal  actors  in  our  tale. 

He  was  a  large,  powerful  man,  of  that  rugged  ])uild  and 
hairy  aspect  that  might  have  suggested  the  idea  that  he. 
would  be  difficult  to  kiih  He  was  a  fair  man,  with  red 
hair,  and  a  deeply  sunburned  face,  on  which  jovial  good- 
humor  sat  almost  perpetually  enthroned.     At  the  moment 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.  » 

wlien  we  introduce  him  to  the  reader,  however,  that  ex« 
pression  happened  to  be  modified  in  consequence  of  hia 
having  laid  him  down  to  sleep  in  a  sprawling  manner  on 
his  back  —  the  place  as  well  as  the  position  being,  appar- 
ently, one  of  studied  discomfort.  His  legs  lay  over  the 
heel  of  the  bowsprit,  his  big  body  reposed  on  a  confused 
heap  of  blocks  and  cordage,  and  his  neck  rested  on  the 
stock  of  an  anchor  so  that  his  head  hung  down  over  it, 
presenting  the  face  to  view,  with  the  large  mouth  wide 
open,  in  an  upside-down  position.  Tlie  man  was  evidently 
on  the  verge  of  choking,  but,  being  a  strong  man,  and  a 
rugged  man,  and  a  healthy  man,  he  did  not  care.  He 
seemed  to  prefer  choking  to  the  trouble  of  rousing  himself 
and  improving  his  position. 

How  long  he  would  have  lain  in  this  state  of  felicity  it 
is  impossible  to  say,  for  his  slumbers  were  rudely  inter- 
rupted by  a  slight  lurch  of  the  schooner,  which  caused 
the  blocks  and  cordage  attached  to  the  sheet  of  the  jib  to 
sweep  slowly,  but  with  rasping  asperity,  across  his  face. 
Any  ordinary  man  would  have  been  seriously  damaged  — 
at  least  in  appearance  —  by  such  an  accident  ;  but  this 
particular  sea-dog  was  tough  in  the  skin,  —  he  was  only 
awakened  by  it  —  nothing  more.  He  yawTied,  raised  him- 
self lazily,  and  gazed  round  with  that  vacant  stare  of  un- 
reasonable surprise  which  is  common  to  man  on  passing 
from  a  state  of  somnolence  to  that  of  wakefulness. 

Gradually  the  expression  of  habitual  good-humor  set- 
tled on  his  visage,  as  he  looked  from  one  to  another  of  his 
sleeping  comrades,  and  at  last,  with  a  bland  smile,  he 
broke  forth  into  the  following  soliloquy  :  — 

"  Wot  a  goose,  w^ot  a  grampus  you've  bin,  John  Bum- 
pus :  firstly,  for  goin'  to  sea;  secondly,  for  remainin'  at 
sea ;  thirdly,  for  not  forsakin'  the  sea ;  fourthly,  for  bein' 


10  GASCOTNE, 

worried  about  it  at  all,  now  that  you've   made  up  your 
mind  to  retire  from  the  sea ;  and,  fifthly  —  " 

Here  John  Bumpus  paused  as  if  to  meditate  on  the  full 
depth  and  meaning  of  these  polite  remarks,  or  to  invent 
some  new  and  powerful  expression  wherewith  to  deliver 
liis  fifth  head.  His  mental  efforts  seemed  to  fail,  how- 
ever ;  for,  instead  of  concluding  the  sentence,  he  hummed 
the  following  lines,  vrhich,  we  may  suppose,  were  express- 
ive of  his  feelings,  as  well  as  his  intentions  :  — 

"  So  f^oodby  to  the  mighty  ocean. 
And  adoo  to  the  rollin'  sea, 
For  it's  nobody  has  no  notion 
Wot  a  grief  it  has  bin  to  me/* 

"  Ease  off  the  sheets  and  square  the  topsail  yards,"  was 
at  that  moment  said,  or  rather  murmured,  by  a  bass  voice 
80  deep  and  rich  that,  although  scarcely  raised  above  a 
whisper,  it  was  distinctly  heard  over  the  whole  deck. 

John  Bumpus  raised  his  bulky  form  with  a  degree  of 
lithe  activity  that  proved  him  to  be  not  less  agile  than 
athletic,  and,  with  several  others,  sprang  to  obey  the  order. 
A  few  seconds  later  the  sails  were  swelled  out  by  a  light 
breeze,  and  the  schooner  moved  through  the  water  at  a 
rate  which  seemed  scarcely  possible  under  the  influence  of 
so  gentle  a  puff  of  air.  Presently  the  breeze  increased, 
the  vessel  cut  through  the  blue  water  like  a  knife,  leaving 
a  lonf  track  of  foam  in  her  wake  as  she  headed  for  the 
coral-island  before  referred  to.  The  outer  reef  or  barrier 
of  coral  which  guarded  the  island  was  soon  reached.  The 
narrow  opening  in  this  natural  bulwark  was  passed.  The 
schooner  stood  across  the  belt  of  perfectly  still  water  that 
lay  between  the  reef  and  the  shore,  and  entered  a  small 


THE  SANDALAYOOD  TRADER.  11 

bay,  where  the  calm  water  reflected  the  strip  of  white 
sand,  green  palms,  and  tropical  plants  that  skirted  its  mar- 
gin, as  well  as  the  purple  hills  of  the  interior. 

Here  she  swept  round  in  a  sudden  but  graceful  curve, 
until  all  her  canvas  fluttered  in  the  breeze,  and  then 
dropped  anchor  in  about  six  fathoms  water. 


ciiAFrER  n. 

BtJMPUS   18   FIERY   AND   PHILOSOPHICAL  —  MUBDFBOUS 
DESIGNS    FRUSTRATED. 

The  captain  of  the  schooner,  whose  deep  voice  had  so 
suddenly  terminated  the  meditations  of  John  Bumpus,  was 
one  of  those  men  who  seem  to  have  been  formed  for  the 
special  purpose  of  leading  and  commanding  their  fellows. 

He  was  not  only  unusually  tall  and  powerful, — physical 
qualities  which,  in  themselves,  are  by  no  means  sufficient 
to  command  respect,  —  but,  as  we  have  said,  he  possessed 
a  deep,  full-toned  bass  voice,  in  which  there  seemed  to  lie 
a  species  of  fascination  ;  for  its  softest  tones  riveted  atten- 
tion, and  when  it  thundered  forth  commands  in  the  fiercest 
storms,  it  inspired  confidence  and  a  feeling  of  security  in 
all  who  heard  it.  The  countenance  of  the  captain,  how- 
ever, was  that  which  induced  men  to  accord  to  him  a  posi- 
tion of  superiority  in  whatever  sphere  of  action  he  chanced 
to  move.  It  was  not  so  much  a  handsome  as  a  manly  and 
sino:ularly  grave  face,  in  every  line  of  which  was  written 
inflexible  determination.  His  hair  was  short,  black,  and 
curly.  A  small  moustache  darkened  his  upper  lip,  but  the 
rest  of  his  face  was  closely  shaven,  so  that  his  large  chin 
and  iron  jaw  were  fully  displayed.  Plis  eyes-  were  of  that 
indescribable  blue  color  which  can  exhibit  the  intensest 
passior,  or  the  most  melting  tenderness. 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.  13 

He  wore  a  sombre  but  somewhat  picturesque  costume, 
—  a  dark-colored  flannel  shirt  and  trousers,  which  latter 
were  gathered  in  close  round  his  lower  limbs  by  a  species 
of  drab  gaiter  that  appeared  somewhat  incongruous  with 
the  profession  of  the  man.  The  only  bit  of  bright  color 
about  him  was  a  scarlet  belt  round  his  waist,  from  the  side 
of  which  depended  a  long  knife  in  a  brown  leather  sheath. 
A  pair  of  light  shoes,  and  a  small  round  cap  resembling 
what  is  styled  in  these  days  a  pork-pie,  completed  his  cos- 
tume.    He  was  about  forty  years  of  age. 

Such  was  the  commander,  or  captain,  or  skipper  of  this 
suspicious-looking  schooner,  —  a  man  preeminently  fitted 
for  the  accomplishment  of  much  good,  or  the  perpetration 
of  great  evil. 

As  soon  as  the  anchor  touched  the  ground,  the  captain 
ordered  a  small  boat  to  be  lowered,  and,  leaping  into  it 
with  two  men,  one  of  whom  was  our  friend  John  Bumpus, 
rowed  toward  the  shore. 

"  Have  you  brought  your  kit  with  you,  John  ? "  in- 
quired the  captain,  as  the  little  boat  shot  over  the  smooth 
waters  of  the  bay. 

"  Wot's  of  it,  sir,"  replied  our  rugged  seaman,  holding 
up  a  small  bundle  tied  in  a  red  cotton  handkerchief.  "  I 
s'pose  our  cruise  ashore  wont  be  a  long  one." 

"  It  will  be  long  for  you,  my  man,  —  at  least  as  far  as 
the  schooner  is  concerned,  for  1  do  not  mean  to  take  you 
aboard  again." 

"  Not  take  me  aboard  agin  ! "  exclaimed  the  sailor,  with 
a  look  of  surprise  which  quickly  degenerated  into  an  angry 
frown  and  thereafter  gradually  relaxed  into  a  broad  grin 
as  he  continued  :  "  Why,  capting,  wot  do  you  mean  to  do 
with  me,  then  ?  for  I'm  a  heavy  piece  of  goods,  d'ye  see, 


14  GASCOYNE, 

and  can't  be  easily  moved  about  without  a  small  touch  o 
my  own  consent,  you  know." 

Jo  Bumpus,  as  he  was  fond  of  styling  himself,  said  this 
with  a  serio-comic  air  of  sarcasm,  for  he  was  an  exception 
to  the  general  rule  of  his  felloWs.  He  had  little  respect 
for,  and  no  fear  of,  his  commander.  Indeed,  to  say  truth 
(for  truth  must  be  told,  even  though  the  character  of  our 
rugged  friend  should  suffer),  Jo  entertained  a  most  pro- 
found belief  in  the  immense  advantage  of  muscular  strength 
and  vigor  in  general,  and  of  his  own  prowess  in  partic- 
ular. 

Although  not  quite  so  gigantic  a  man  as  his  captain,  he 
was  nearly  so,  and,  being  a  bold,  self-reliant  fellow,  he  felt 
persuaded  in  his  own  mind  that  he  could  thrash  him,  if 
need  were.  In  fact,  Jo  was  convinced  that  there  was  no 
living  creature  under  the  sun,  human  or  otherwise,  that 
walked  upon  two  legs,  that  he  could  not  pommel  to  death, 
with  more  or  less  ease,  by  means  of  his  fists  alone.  And 
in  this  conviction  he  was  not  far  wrong.  Yet  it  must  not 
be  supposed  that  Jo  Bumpus  was  a  boastful  man  or  a 
bully.  Far  from  it.  He  was  so  thoroughly  persuaded 
of  his  invincibility  that  he  felt  there  was  no  occasion  to 
prove  it.  He  therefore  followed  the  natural  bent  of  his 
inclinations,  which  led  him  at  all  times  to  exhibit  a  mild, 
amiable,  and  gentle  aspect,  —  except,  of  course,  when  he 
was  roused.  As  occasion  for  being  roused  was  not  want- 
ing in  the  South  Seas  in  those  days,  Jo's  amiability  was 
frequently  put  to  the  test.  He  sojourned,  while  there,  in  a 
condition  of  alternate  calm  and  storm  ;  but  riotous  joviality 
ran,  like  a  rich  vein,  through  all  his  checkered  life,  and  lit 
up  its  most  sombre  phases  like  gleams  of  light  on  an 
April  day. 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.  15 

"  You  entered  my  service  with  your  own  (jonsent,**  re- 
plied the  captain  to  Jo's  last  remark,  "  and  you  may  leave 
it,  with  the  same  consent,  whenever  you  choose  ;  but  you 
will  please  to  remember  that  I  did  not  engage  you  to 
serre  on  board  the  schooner.  Back  there  you  do  not  go 
either  with  or  without  your  consent,  my  fine  fellow,  and  if 
you  are  bent  on  going  to  sea  on  your  own  account,  — 
you've  got  a  pair  of  good  arms  and  legs,  —  you  can 
swim !  Besides,"  continued  the  captain,  dropping  the  tone 
of  sarcasm  in  which  this  was  said,  and  assuming  a  more 
careless  and  good-natured  air,  "  you  were  singing  some- 
thing not  long  since,  if  I  mistake  not,  about '  farewell  to 
the  rolling  sea,'  which  leads  me  to  think  you  will  not 
object  to  a  short  cruise  on  shore  for  a  change,  especially 
on  such  a  beautiful  island  as  this  is." 

"  I'm  your  man,  cap  ting,"  cried  the  impulsive  seaman, 
at  the  same  time  giving  his  oar  a  pull  that  well-nigh  spun 
the  boat  round.  "  And,  to  say  wots  the  plain  truth,  d'ye 
see,  I'm  not  sorry  to  ha  done  with  your  schooner ;  for, 
although  she  is  as  tight  a  little  craft  as  any  man  could 
wish  for  to  go  to  sea  in,  I  can't  say  much  for  the  crew,  — 
saving  your  presence,  Dick,"  he  added,  glancing  over 
his  shoulder  at  the  surly -looking  man  who  pulled  the  bow 
oar.  "Of  all  the  rascally  set  I  ever  clapped  eyes  on, 
they  seems  to  me  the  worst.  If  I  didn't  know  you  for  a 
sandal-wood  trader,  I  do  believe  I'd  take  ye  for  a  pi- 
rate." 

"  Don't  speak  ill  of  your  messmates  behind  their  backs, 
Jo,"  said  the  captain,  with  a  sliglit  frown.  "  No  good  and 
true  man  ever  does  that." 

"  No  more  I  do,"  replied  John  Bumpus,  while  a  deep 
red  (jolor  suffused  his  bronzed  countenance.     "  No  more  ^ 


1 6  GA8C0TNE, 

do,  leastwise  if  they  wos  here  I'd  say  it  to  their  faces ;  for 
they're  a  set  of  as  ill-tongued  villains  as  I  ever  had  the 
misfortune  to  —  " 

"  Silence  !  "  exclaimed  the  captain,  suddenly,  in  a  voice 
of  thunder. 

Few  men  would  have  ventured  to  disobey  the  command 
given  by  such  a  man,  but  John  Bumpus  was  one  of  those 
few.  He  did  indeed  remain  silent  for  two  seconds,  but  it 
was  the  silence  of  astonishment. 

"  Capting,"  said  he,  seriously,  "  I  don't  mean  no  offence, 
but  I'd  have  you  to  know  that  I  engaged  to  work  for  you, 
not  to  hold  my  tongue  at  your  bidding,  d'ye  see.  There 
aint  the  man  living  as'U  make  Jo  Bumpus  shut  up  w'en 
he's  got  a  mind  to  —  " 

The  captain  put  an  abrupt  end  to  the  remarks  of  his 
refractory  seaman  by  starting  up  suddenly  in  fierce  anger 
and  seizing  the  tiller,  apparently  with  the  intent  to  fell 
him.  He  checked  himself,  however,  as  suddenly,  and 
breaking  into  a  loud  laugh,  cried  :  — 

"  Come,  Jo,  you  must  admit  that  there  is  at  least  one 
living  man  who  has  made  you  '  shut  up '  before  you  had 
finished  what  you'd  got  to  say." 

John  Bumpus,  who  had  thrown  up  his  left  arm  to  ward 
off  the  anticipated  blow,  and  dropped  his  oar  in  order  to 
clench  his  right  fist,  quietly  resumed  his  oar,  and  shook  his 
head  gravely  for  nearly  a  minute,  after  which  he  made  the 
following  observation :  — 

"  Capting,  I've  seed,  in  my  experience  o'  life,  that  there 

riie  Rome  constitootions  as  don't  agree  with  jokin';  ^xi* 

/ours  is  one  on  'em.     Now,  if  you'd  take  the  advice  of  a 

;  Iain  man,  you'd  never  try  it  on.     You're  a  grave  man  by 

'X\iy\  and  you're  bo  bad  at  a  joke  that  a  feller  can't  quite 


THE  SANDAI^WOOD  TRADER.  17 

tell  w'en  you're  a-doin*  of  it.  See,  now!  I  do  declare  1 
wos  as  near  drivin'  you  right  over  the  stem  o'  your  own 
boat  as  could  be,  only  by  good  Lick  I  seed  the  twinkle  in 
your  eye  in  time." 

"  Pull  away,  my  lad,"  said  the  captain,  in  the  softest 
tones  of  his  deep  voice,  at  the  same  time  looking  his  re- 
prover straight  in  the  face. 

There  was  something  in  the  tone  in  which  that  simple 
command  was  given,  and  in  the  look  by  which  it  was  ac- 
companied, that  effectually  quelled  John  Bumpus  in  spite 
of  himself.  Violence  had  no  effect  on  John,  because  in 
most  cases  he  was  able  to  meet  it  with  superior  violence, 
and  in  all  cases  he  was  willing  to  try.  But  to  be  put 
down  in  this  mild  way  was  perplexing.  The  words  were 
familiar,  the  look  straightforward  and  common  enough. 
He  could  not  understand  it  at  all,  and,  being  naturally  of 
a  philosophical  turn  of  mind,  he  spent  the  next  three  min- 
utes in  a  futile  endeavor  to  analyze  his  own  feelings.  Be- 
fore he  had  come  to  any  satisfactory  conclusion  on  the 
subject,  the  boat's  keel  grated  on  the  white  sand  of  the 
shore. 

Now,  while  all  that  we  have  been  describing  in  the  last 
and  present  chapters  was  going  on,  a  very  different  series 
of  events  was  taking  place  on  the  coral-island  ;  for  there, 
under  the  pleasant  shade  of  the  cocoanut  palms,  a  tall, 
fair,  and  handsome  youth  was  walking  lightly  down  the 
green  slopes  toward  the  shore  in  anticipation  of  the  arri- 
val of  the  schooner,  and  a  naked,  dark-skinned  savage  was 
dogging  his  steps,  winding  hke  a  hideous  snake  among  the 
bushes,  and  apparently  seeking  an  opportunity  to  launch 
the  short  spear  he  carried  in  his  hand  at  his  unsuspecting 

victim. 

2 


18  GASOOTNE, 

As  the  youth  and  the  savage  descended  the  mountaiii> 
Bide  together,  the  former  frequently  paused  when  an  open- 
ing in  the  rich  foliage  peculiar  to  these  beautiful  isles 
enabled  him  to  obtain  a  clear  view  of  the  magnificent 
bay  and  its  fringing  coral  reef,  on  which  the  swell  of  the 
great  Pacific  —  so  calm  and  undulating  out  beyond  —  fell 
in  tremendous  breakers,  with  a  long,  low,  solemn  roar  like 
distant  thunder.  As  yet  no  object  broke  the  surface  of  the 
mirror-like  bay  within  the  reef. 

Each  time  the  youth  paused  the  savage  stopped  also, 
and  more  than  once  he  poised  his  deadly  spear,  while  his 
glaring  eyeballs  shone  amid  the  green  fohage  like  those  of 
a  tiger.  Yet  upon  each  occasion  he  exhibited  signs  of 
hesitation,  and  finally  lowered  the  weapon,  and  crouched 
into  the  underwood. 

To  any  one  ignorant  of  the  actors  in  this  scene,  the  in- 
decision of  the  savage  would  have  appeared  unaccounta- 
ble ;  for  there  could  be  no  doubt  of  his  desire  to  slay  the 
fair  youth  —  still  less  doubt  of  his  ability  to  dart  his  for- 
midable spear  with  precision.  Nevertheless,  there  was 
good  reason  for  his  hesitating;  for  young  Henry  Stuart 
was  well  known,  alike  by  settlers  and  savages,  as  possess- 
ing the  s^viftest  foot,  the  strongest  arm,  and  the  boldest 
heart  in  the  island,  and  Keona  was  not  celebrated  for  the 
possession  of  these  qualities  in  any  degree  above  the  aver- 
age of  his  fellows,  although  he  did  undoubtedly  exceed 
them  in  revenge,  hatred,  and  the  Hke.  On  one  occasion 
young  Stuart  had,  while  defending  his  mother's  house 
against  an  attack  of  the  savages,  felled  Keona  with  a  well- 
directed  blow  of  his  fist.  It  was  doubtless  out  of  revenge 
for  this  that  the  latter  now  dogged  the  former  through  the 
lonely  recesses  of  the  mountain-pass    by   which   he   had 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  19 

crossed  the  island  from  the  little  settlement  in  which  wag 
his  home,  and  gained  the  sequestered  bay  in  which  he  ex- 
pected to  find  the  schooner.  Up  to  this  point,  however, 
the  savage  had  not  summoned  courage  to  make  the  attack, 
although,  with  the  exception  of  a  hunting-knife,  his  ene- 
my was  altogether  unarmed ;  for  he  knew  that  in  the  event 
of  missing  his  mark  the  young  man's  speed  of  foot  would 
enable  him  to  outstrip  him,  while  his  strength  of  frame 
would  quickly  terminate  a  single  combat. 

As  the  youth  gained  the  more  open  land  near  the 
beach,  the  possibility  of  making  a  successful  cast  of  the 
spear  became  more  and  more  doubtful.  Finally  the 
savage  shrunk  into  the  bushes,  and  abandoned  the  pur- 
suit. 

"  Not  here  yet,  Master  Gascoyne,"  muttered  Henry,  as 
he  sat  down  on  a  rock  to  rest ;  for,  although  the  six  miles 
of  country  he  had  crossed  was  a  trifle,  as  regarded  distance, 
to  a  lad  of  nineteen,  the  rugged  mountain-path  by  which 
he  had  come  would  have  tried  the  muscles  of  a  Red  In- 
dian, and  the  nerve  of  a  goat.  "  You  were  wont  to  keep 
to  time  better  in  days  gone  by.  Truly  it  seems  to  me  a 
•itrange  thing  that  I  should  thus  be  made  a  sort  of  walking 
post  between  my  mother's  house  and  this  bay,  all  for  the 
benefit  of  a  man  who  seems  to  me  no  better  than  he  should 
be,  and  whom  I  don't  like,  and  yet  whom  I  do  like  in  some 
unaccountable  fashion  that  I  don't  understand." 

Whatever  the  youth's  thoughts  were  after  giving  vent 
to  the  foregoing  soliloquy,  he  kept  them  to  himself.  They 
did  not  at  first  appear  to  be  of  an  agreeable  nature ;  for 
he  frowned  once  or  twice,  and  struck  liis  thigh  with  his 
clenched  hand ;  but  gradually  a  pleasant  expression  lit  up 
his  manly  face,  as  he  gazed  out  upon  the  sleeping  sea  and 


20 


GASCOYNE, 


watched  the  gorgeous  clouds  that  soon  began  to  rise  and 
cluster  round  the  sun. 

After  an  hour  or  so  spent  in  wandering  on  the  beach 
picking  up  shells,  and  gazing  wistfully  out  to  sea,  Henry 
Stuart  appeared  to  grow  tired  of  waiting ;  for  he  laid  him- 
self down  on  the  shore,  turned  his  back  on  the  ocean,  pil- 
lowed his  head  on  a  tuft  of  grass,  and  deliberately  went  to 
sleep. 

Now  was  the  time  for  the  savage  to  wreak  his  vengeance 
on  his  enemy ;  but,  fortunately,  that  vill:iin,  despite  his 
subtlety  and  cunning,  had  not  conceived  the  possibihty  of 
the  youth  indulging  in  such  an  unnatural  recreation  as  a 
nap  in  the  forenoon.  He  had,  therefore,  retired  to  his 
native  jungle,  and  during  the  hour  in  which  Henry  was 
buried  in  repose,  and  in  which  he  might  have  accomplished 
his  end  without  danger  or  uncertainty,  he  was  seated  in  a 
dark  cave,  moodily  resolving  in  his  mind  future  plans  of 
villany,  and  indulging  the  hope  that  on  the  youth's  return- 
ing homeward  he  would  be  more  successful  in  finding  a 
favorable  opportunity  to  take  his  life. 

During  this  same  hour  it  was  that  our  low-hulled  little 
schooner  hove  in  sight  on  the  horizon,  ran  swiftly  down 
before  the  breeze,  cast  anchor  in  the  bay,  and  sent  her 
boat  ashore,  as  we  have  seen,  with  the  cnptain,  the  surly 
man  called  Dick,  and  our  friend  John  Bumpus. 

It  happened  that,  just  as  the  boat  rrm  under  the  shelter 
of  a  rocky  point  and  touched  the  strand,  Keona  left  his 
cave  for  tlie  purpose  of  observing  what  young  Stuart  was 
about.  He  knew  that  he  could  not  have  retraced  his 
homeward  way  without  passing  within  sight  of  his  place 
of  concealment. 

A  glfince  of  surprise  crossed  his  dark  visage  as  he  crept 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  21 

to  the  edge  of  the  underwood  and  saw  the  schooner  at 
anchor  in  the  bay.  This  was  succeeded  by  a  fiendish  grin 
of  exukation  as  his  eye  fell  on  the  slumbering  form  of  the 
youth.  He  instantly  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  ; 
and  so  deeply  was  he  engrossed  with  his  murderous  inten- 
tion, that  he  did  not  observe  the  captain  of  the  schooner 
as  he  turned  a  projecting  rock,  and  suddenly  appeared 
upon  the  scene.  The  captain,  however,  saw  the  savage, 
and  instantly  drew  back,  signing,  at  the  same  time,  to  his 
two  men  to  keep  under  cover. 

A  second  glance  showed  him  the  sleeping  form  of 
Henry,  and,  almost  before  he  had  time  to  suspect  that  foul 
play  was  going  on,  he  saw  the  savage  glide  from  the 
bushes  to  the  side  of  the  sleeper,  raise  his  spear,  and  poise 
it  for  one  moment,  as  if  to  make  sure  of  sending  it  straight 
to  the  youth's  heart. 

There  was  not  a  moment  to  lose.  The  captain  carried 
a  short  carbine  in  his  hand,  with  which  he  took  aim  at  the 
savage,  —  going  down  on  one  knee  to  make  a  surer  shot, 
for  the  carbine  of  those  days  was  not  to  be  depended  on 
at  a  distance  much  beyond  a  hundred  yards  ;  and  as  the 
actors  in  this  scene  were  separated  by  even  more  than  that 
distance,  there  was  a  considerable  chance  of  missing  the 
savage  and  hitting  the  young  man. 

This,  however,  was  not  a  moment  to  calculate  chances. 
The  captain  pulled  the  trigger,  and  the  crash  of  the  shot 
was  followed  by  a  howl  from  the  savage,  as  his  uplifted 
arm  dropped  to  his  side,  and  the  spear  fell  across  the  face  of 
the  sleeper.  Henry  instantly  awoke,  and  sprang  up  with 
the  agility  of  a  panther.  Before  he  could  observe  what 
had  occurred,  Keona  leaped  into  the  bushes  and  disap- 
peared.    Henry  at  once  bounded  after  liim  ;  and  the  cap- 


ZZ  GASCOYNE. 

tain,  giving  vent  to  a  lustj  clieer,  rushed  across  the  beach, 
and  sprang  into  the  forest,  closely  followed  by  surly  Dick 
and  John  Bumpus,  whose  united  cheers  of  excitement 
and  shouts  of  defiance  awoke  the  echoes  of  the  place  with 
clamorous  discords. 


CHAPTER  m. 

A  KOtlQH   WALK  ENLIVENED  BY   KAMBLING  TALK. 
BUMPUS  IS   "agreeable." 

ItJs  said,  in  the  proverbial  philosophy  of  nautical  men, 
that  "  a  stern  chase  is  a  long  one."  The  present  instance 
was  an  exception  to  the  general  rule.  Keona  was 
wounded.  Young  Stuart  was  fleet  as  the  antelope,  and 
strong  as  a  young  lion.  In  these  circumstances  it  is  not 
surprising  that,  after  a  run  of  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile, 
he  succeeded  in  laying  his  hands  on  the  neck  of  the  savage 
and  hurling  him  to  the  ground,  where  he  lay  panting  and 
helpless,  looking  up  in  the  face  of  his  conqueror  with  an 
expression  of  hopeless  despair;  for  savages  and  wicked 
men  generally  are  wont  to  judge  of  others  by  themselves, 
and  to  expect  to  receive  such  treatment  from  their  enemies 
as  they  themselves  would,  in  similar  circumstances  ac- 
cord. 

Tlie  fear  of  instant  death  was  before  his  eyes,  and  the 
teeth  of  Keona  chattered  in  his  head,  while  his  face  grew 
more  hideous  than  ever,  by  reason  of  its  becoming  livid. 

His  fears  were  groundless.  Henry  Stuart  was  not  a 
savage.  He  was  humane  by  nature  ;  and,  in  addition  to 
this,  he  had  been  trained  under  the  influence  of  that  Book 
which  teaches  us  that  the  most  philosopliical,  because  the 
most  effective,  method  of  procedure  in  this  world,  is  to 
"  overcome  evil  with  good." 


24  GASCOYNE, 

"  So,  you  scoundrel,"  said  Henry,  placing  his  knee  on 
Keona's  chest,  and  compressing  his  throat  with  his  left 
hand,  while  with  his  right  he  drew  forth  a  long  glittering 
knife,  and  raised  it  in  the  air,  —  "  so  you  are  not  satisfied 
with  what  I  gave  you  the  last  time  we  met,  but  you  must 
needs  take  the  trouble  to  cross  ray  path  a  second  time, 
and  get  a  taste  of  cold  steel,  must  you  ?  " 

Ahhough  Keona  could  speak  no  English,  he  understood 
it  sufficiently  to  appreciate  the  drift  of  the  youth's  words, 
even  though  he  had  failed  to  comprehend  the  meaning  of 
the  angry  frown  and  the  glittering  knife.  But,  however 
much  he  might  have  wished  to  reply  to  the  question, 
Henry  took  care  to  render  the  attempt  impossible,  by  com- 
]iressing  his  windpipe  until  he  became  blue  in  the  face, 
and  then  black.  At  the  same  time,  he  let  the  sharp  point 
of  his  knife  touch  the  skin  just  over  the  region  of  the 
heart. 

Having  thus  convinced  his  vanquished  foe  that  death 
was  at  the  door,  he  suddenly  relaxed  his  iron  gripe,  arose, 
sheathed  his  knife,  and  bade  the  savage  get  up.  The  mis- 
erable creature  did  so,  with  some  difficulty,  just  as  the 
captain  and  his  men  arrived  on  the  scene. 

"  Well  met,  Henry,*'  cried  the  former,  extending  his 
hand  to  the  youth  ;  *'  had  I  been  a  moment  later,  my  lad, 
I  fear  that  your  life's  blood  would  have  been  on  the  sea- 
shore." 

"  Then  it  was  you  who  tired  the  snot,  Captain  Gascoyne? 
This  is  the  second  time  I  have  to  thank  you  for  saving  my 
life,"  said  the  young  man,  returning  the  grasp  of  the  cap- 
tain's hand. 

"  Truly,  it  is  but  a  small  matter  to  have  to  thar  k  me  for. 
Doubtless  if  my  stout  man  John  Bumpus  had  carried  the 
caihine,  he  would  have  done  you  as  good  service.     And 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  25 

methinks,  Henry,  that  you  would  have  preferred  to  owe 
your  life  to  either  of  my  men  rather  than  to  me,  if  I  may 
judge  by  your  looks." 

"  You  should  not  judge  by  looks,  captain,"  replied  the 
youth  quickly,  —  "  especially  the  looks  of  a  man  who  has 
just  had  a  hand-to-hand  tussle  with  a  savage.  But,  to  tell 
the  plain  truth.  Captain  Gascoyne,  I  would  indeed  rather 
have  had  to  tliank  your  worthy  man  John  Bumpus  than 
yourself  for  coming  to  my  aid  ;  for  although  I  owe  you  no 
grudge,  and  do  not  count  you  an  enemy,  I  had  rather  see 
your  back  than  your  face  ;  and  you  know  the  reason 
why." 

"  You  give  me  credit,  boy,  for  more  knowledge  than  I 
possess,"  replied  Gascoyne,  while  an  angry  frown  gathered 
for  a  moment  on  his  brow,  but  passed  away  almost  as 
quickly  as  it  came.  "I  know  not  the  cause  of  your 
unreasonable  dislike  to  one  who  has  never  done  you  an 
injury." 

"  Never  done  me  an  injury  !  "  cried  Henry,  staining  and 
turning  with  a  look  of  passion  on  his  companion  ;  then, 
checking  himself  by  a  strong  effort,  he  added,  in  a  milder 
tone,  "  But  a  truce  to  such  talk ;  and  I  ask  your  forgive- 
ness for  my  sharp  words  just  after  your  rendering  me  such 
good  service  in  the  hour  of  need.  You  and  I  differ  in  our 
notions  on  one  or  two  points  —  that  is  all ;  there  is  no  need 
for  quarrelling.  See,  here  is  a  note  from  my  mother,  who 
sent  me  to  the  bay  to  meet  you." 

During  this  colloquy,  Dick  and  Bumpus  had  mounted 
guard  over  the  wounded  savage,  just  out  of  ear-shot  of 
their  captain. 

Neither  of  the  sailors  ventured  to  hold  their  pris- 
oner, because  they  deemed  it  an  unmanly  advantage 
to  take  of  one  who  was   so  completely    (as    they  iraag- 


26  GASCOTITE, 

ined)  in  their  power.  They  kept  a  watchful  eye  on  him, 
however  ;  and  while  they  affected  an  easy  indifference  of 
attitude,  held  themselves  in  readiness  to  pounce  upon  him 
if  he  should  attempt  to  escape.  But  nothing  seemed  fuT- 
ther  from  the  mind  of  Keona  than  such  an  attempt.  He 
appeared  to  be  thoroughly  exhausted  by  his  recent  strug- 
gle and  loss  of  blood,  and  his  body  was  bent  as  if  he  were 
about  to  sink  down  to  the  ground.  There  was,  however, 
a  peculiar  glance  in  his  dark  eyes  that  induced  John  Bum- 
pus  to  be  more  on  his  guard  than  appearances  seemed  to 
warrant. 

While  Gascoyne  was  reading  the  letter  to  which  we 
have  referred,  Keona  suddenly  placed  his  left  leg  behind 
surly  Dick,  and,  with  his  unwounded  fist,  hit  that  morose 
individual  such  a  tremendous  back-handed  blow  on  the 
nose  that  he  instantly  measured  his  length  on  the  ground. 
John  Bumpus  made  a  sudden  plunge  at  the  savage  on  see- 
ing this,  but  the  latter  ducked  his  head,  passed  like  an  eel 
under  the  very  arms  of  the  sailor,  and  went  off  into  the 
forest  like  a  deer. 

"  Hold ! "  shouted  Captain  Gascoyne,  as  John  turned, 
in  a  state  of  mingled  amazement  and  anger,  to  pursue. 
"  Hold  on,  Bumpus  ;  let  the  miserable  rascal  go." 

John  stopped,  looked  over  his  shoulder,  hesitated,  and 
finally  came  back,  with  a  rolling  air  of  nautical  indifference, 
and  his  hands  thrust  into  his  breeches  pockets. 

"  You  know  best,  capting,"  said  he ;  "  but  I  think  it  a 
pity  to  let  sich  a  dirty  varmint  go  clear  off,  to  dodge  about 
in  the  bushes,  and  mayhap  treat  us  to  a  poisoned  arrow,  or 
a  spear  thrust  on  the  ily.  Howsomedever,  it  aint  no  con- 
sarn  wotever  to  Jo  Bumpus.  Ho^v  's  your  beak,  Dick,  my 
boy  ?  " 

*'  None  the  better  for  your   askin',"  replied   the  surly 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  27 

mariner,  who  was  tenderly  stroking  the  injured  member 
of  his  face  with  the  fingers  of  both  hands. 

"  Come,  Dick,  it  is  none  the  worse  of  being  inquired 
after,"  said  Henry,  laughing.  "  But  'tis  as  well  to  let  the 
fellow  go.  He  knows  best  how  to  cure  his  wound,  by  the 
application  of  a  few  simples  ;  and  by  thus  making  off  has 
relieved  us  of  the  trouble  and  responsibility  of  trying  our 
hands  at  civilized  doctoring.  Besides,  John  Bumpus  (if 
that's  your  name,  —  though  I  do  think  your  father  might 
have  found  you  a  better),  your  long  legs  would  never 
have  brought  you  within  a  mile  of  the  savage." 

"  Young  man,"  retorted  Jo,  gravely,  "  I'd  have  you  to 
know  that  the  family  of  the  Bumpuses  is  an  old  and  a 
honorable  one.  They  comed  over  with  the  Conkerer  to 
Ireland,  where  they  picked  up  a  deal  o'  their  good  man- 
ners, after  which  they  settled  at  last  on  their  own  estates  in 
Yorkshire.  Though  they  have  comed  down  in  the  world, 
and  the  last  of  the  Bumpuses  —  that's  me  —  is  takin'  a 
pleasure- trip  round  the  world  before  the  mast,  I  wont 
stand  by  and  hear  my  name  made  game  of,  d'ye  see ;  and 
I'd  have  ye  to  know,  further,  my  buck,  that  the  Bumpuses 
has  a  pecooliar  gift  for  fightin' ;  and  although  you  are  a 
strappin'  young  feller,  you'd  better  not  cause  me  for  to 
prove  that  you're  conkerable." 

Having  dehvered  himself  of  this  oration,  the  last  of  the 
Bumpuses  frowned  portentously  on  the  youth  who  had 
dared  to  risk  his  anger,  and  turning  with  a  bland  smile  to 
surly  Dick,  asked  him  "  if  liis  beak  was  any  better  now." 

"There  seems  to  be  bad  news  in  the  letter,  I  think," 
observed  Henry,  as  Captain  Gascoyne  perused  the  epistle 
with  evident  signs  of  displeasure. 

"  Bad  enough  in  these  times  of  war,  boy,"  replied  the 
other,  folding  the  note  and  placmg  it  in  a  pouch  inside 


28  GASCOYNE, 

the  breast  of  his  flannel  shirt.  "  It  seems  that  that  pesiif* 
erous  British  frigate,  the  Talisman,  lies  at  anchor  in  tbq 
bay  on  the  other  side  of  the  island." 

"  Nothing  in  that  to  cause  uneasiness  to  an  honest  tra- 
der," said  Henry,  leading  the  way  up  the  steep  path  by 
which  he  had  descended  from  the  mountain  region  of  the 
interior. 

"  That  speech  only  shows  your  ignorance  of  the  usages 
of  ships  of  war.  Know  you  not  that  the  nature  of  the 
trade  in  which  I  am  engaged  requires  me  to  be  strong- 
handed,  and  that  the  opinion  of  a  commander  in  the 
British  navy  as  to  how  many  hands  are  sufficient  for  the 
navigation  of  a  trading-schooner  does  not  accord  with 
mine  ?  —  a  difference  of  opinion  which  may  possibly  re- 
sult in  his  relieving  me  of  a  few  of  my  best  men  when  I 
can  ill  afford  to  spare  them.  And,  by  the  way,"  said  Gas- 
coyne,  pausing  as  they  gained  the  brow  of  an  eminence 
that  commanded  a  view  of  the  rich  woodland  on  one  side 
and  the  sea  on  the  other,  "  I  had  better  take  precautions 
against  such  a  mischance.  Here,  Dick  "  (taking  the  man 
aside  and  whispering  to  him),  "  go  back  to  the  schooner, 
my  lad,  and  tell  the  mate  to  send  ten  of  the  best  hands 
ashore  with  provisions  and  arms.  Let  them  squat  where 
they  choose  on  land,  only  let  them  see  to  it  that  they  keep 
well  out  of  sight  and  hearing  until  I  want  them.  And 
now.  Master  Henry,  lead  the  way  ;  John  Bumpus  and  I 
will  follow  at  you  heel  like  a  couple  of  faithful  dogs." 

The  scene  through  which  young  Henry  Stuart  now  led 
his  seafaring  companions  was  of  that  rich,  varied,  and 
beautiful  character  which  is  strikingly  characteristic  of 
those  islands  of  the  Pacific  which  owe  their  origin  to  vol- 
canic agency.  Unlike  the  low  coral  islets,  this  island  pre- 
sented every  variety  of  the  boldest  mountain  scenery,  and 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  29 

yet,  like  them,  it  displayed  all  the  gorgeous  btauty  of  a 
rich  tropical  vegetation.  In  some  places  the  ground  had 
been  cracked  and  riven  into  great  fissures  and  uncouth 
caverns  of  the  wildest  description,  by  volcanoes  appar- 
ently long  since  extinct.  In  others  the  landscape  pre- 
sented the  soft  beauty  of  undulating,  grove-like  scenery, 
in  which,  amid  a  profusion  of  bright  green  herbage,  there 
rose  conspicuous  the  tall  stems  and  waving  plumes  of  the 
cocoanut  palm ;  the  superb  and  umbrageous  ko-a,  with  its 
laurel-green  leaves  and  sweet  blossoms  ;  the  kuhui,  or  can- 
dlenut  tree;  the  fragrant  sandal-wood,  and  a  variety  of 
other  trees  and  shrubs  for  which  there  are  no  English 
names. 

Hundi-eds  of  green  paroquets  with  blue  heads  and  red 
breasts,  turtle-doves,  wood-pigeons,  and  other  birds  enliv- 
ened the  groves  with  sound,  if  not  with  melody,  and  the 
various  lakelets  and  pools  were  alive  with  wild  ducks  and 
water-hens. 

The  route  by  which  the  party  travelled  led  them  first 
across  a  country  of  varied  and  beautiful  aspect;  then  it 
conducted  them  into  wild  mountain  fastnesses,  among 
which  they  clambered,  at  times  with  considerable  difficulty. 
Ere  long  they  passed  into  a  dreary  region  where  the 
ancient  fires  that  upheaved  the  island  from  the  deep 
seemed  to  have  scorched  the  land  into  a  condition  of  per- 
petual desolation.  Blackened  and  bare  lava  rocks,  steep 
volcanic  ridges  and  gorges,  irregular  truncated  cones,  deep- 
mouthed  caves  and  fissures,  overhanging  arches,  natural 
bridges,  great  tunnels  and  ravines,  surrounded  them  on 
every  side,  and  so  concealed  the  softer  features  of  the 
country  that  it  was  scarcely  possible  to  believe  in  the  real- 
ity of  the  verdant  region  out  of  v/hich  they  had  just 
passed.     In  another  hour  this  chaotic    scenery    was    left 


30  GASCOYNE, 

behind ;  the  highest  ridge  of  the  mountains  was  crossed^ 
and  the  travellers  began  to  descend  the  green  slopes  on  the 
other  side  of  the  island.  These  slopes  terminated  in  a 
beach  of  white  sand,  while  beyond  lay  the  calm  waters  of 
the  enclosed  lagoon,  the  coral  reef  with  its  breakers,  and 
the  mighty  sea. 

"  '  Tis  a  pretty  spot  ?  "  said  Henry,  interrogatively,  as 
the  party  halted  on  the  edge  of  a  precipice,  whence  they 
obtained  an  uninterrupted  view  of  the  whole  of  that  side 
of  the  island. 

"  Ay,  pretty  enough,"  replied  Gascoyne,  in  a  somewhat 
sad  tone  of  voice :  "  I  had  hoped  to  have  led  a  quiet  life 
hei*e  once,  but  that  was  not  to  be.  How  say  you,  Bum- 
pus  ;  could  you  make  up  your  mind  to  cast  anchor  here 
for  a  year  or  so  ?  " 

"  Wot's  that  you  say,  capting  ?  "  inquired  honest  John, 
who  was  evidently  lost  in  admiration  of  the  magnificent 
scene  that  lay  spread  out  before  him. 

"  I  ask  if  you  have  no  objection  to  come  to  an  anchor 
here  for  a  time,"  repeated  the  captain. 

"  Objection  !  I'll  tell  ye  wot  it  is,  capting,  I  never  seed 
sich  a  place  afore  in  all  my  born  days.  Why,  it's  a  slice 
out  o'  paradise.  I  do  believe  if  Adam  and  Eve  wos  here 
they'd  think  they'd  got  back  again  into  Eden.  It's  more 
beautifuUer  than  the  blue  ocean,  by  a  long  chalk  ;  an'  if 
you  wants  a  feller  that's  handy  at  a'most  anytliing  after  a 
fashion,  —  a  jack  of  all  trades  and  master  of  none  (except 
seamanship,  which  aint  o'  no  use  here),  —  Jo  Bumpus  is 
your  man ! " 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  you  say  tliat,  Jo,"  said  Henry,  laugh- 
ing, "  for  we  are  greatly  in  need  of  white  men  of  your 
stamp  in  these  times,  when  the  savages  are  so  fierce 
against  each  other  that  they  are  like  to  eat   ns  up  alio- 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  31 

gether,  merely  by  way  of  keeping  their  bauds  in  prac- 
tice." 

"  WJiite  men  of  my  stamp ! "  remarked  Bumpus,  survey- 
ing complacently  bis  deeply-bronzed  bands,  wbicb  were 
only  a  sbade  darker  tban  bis  visage ;  "  well,  I  would  like 
to  know  wbat  ye  call  black  if  I'm  a  wbite  man." 

^"  Blood,  and  not  skin,  is  wbat  stamps  tbe  color  of  tbe 
man,  Jo.  If  it  were  agreeable  to  Captain  Gascoyne  to 
let  you  off  your  engagement  to  bim,  I  tbink  I  could  make 
it  wortb  your  wbile  to  engage  witb  me,  and  would  find 
you  plenty  of  work  of  all  kinds,  including  a  little  of  tbat 
same  figbting  for  wbicb  tbe  Bumpuses  are  said  to  be  ^o 
famous." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Jo,  gravely,  "  I  am  agreeable  to 
become  a  good  and  cbattel  for  tbis  occasion  only,  as  the 
playbills  say,  and  bold  myself  up  to  tbe  bighest  bidder." 

"  Nay,  you  are  sold  to  me,  Bumpus,"  said  Gascoyne, 
"  and  must  do  as  I  bid  you." 

*'  Wery  good,  tben  bid  away  as  fast  as  you  like." 

"  Come,  captain,  don't  be  bard,"  said  Henry :  "  wbat 
will  you  take  for  bim  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  afford  to  sell  bim  at  any  price,"  replied  tbe 
otber,  "  for  I  bave  brougbt  bim  here  expressly  as  a  gift 
to  a  certain  Mary  Stuart,  queen  of  women,  if  not  of  Scot- 
land, —  a  widow  wbo  dwells  in  Sandy  Cove  — ■ " 

"  Wbat,  my  motber  ? "  interrupted  Henry,  wbile  a 
sbade  of  displeasure  crossed  bis  countenance  at  wbat  be 
deemed  tbe  insolent  familiarity  witb  wbicb  Gascoyne  men- 
tioned ber  name. 

"  Tbe  same.  On  my  last  visit  I  promised  to  get  ber  a 
man-servant  wbo  could  do  ber  some  service  in  keeping  off 
tbe  savages  wben  tbey  take  a  fancy  to  trouble  tbe  settle- 
ment ;  and  if  Bumpus  is  willing  to  try  bis  luck  on  sbore. 


82  GASCOYNE. 

I  promise  him  he'll  find  her  a  good  mistress,  and  her  house 
pleasant  quarters." 

"  So,"  exclaimed  the  stout  seamim,  stopping  short  in  his 
rolling  walk,  and  gazing  earnestly  into  his  captain's  face, 
"  I'm  to  be  sold  to  a  woman  ?  " 

**With  your  own  consent  entirely.  Master  Bumpus,'* 
said  Gascoyne,  with  a  smile. 

"  Come,  Jo,"  cried  Henry,  gayly,  *'  I  see  you  like  the 
prospect,  and  feel  assured  that  you  and  I  shall  be  good 
friends.     Give  us  your  flipper,  my  boy  !  " 

John  Bumpus  allowed  the  youth  to  seize  and  shake  a 
"  flipper,"  which  would  have  done  credit  to  a  walrus,  both 
in  regard  to  shape  and  size.  After  a  short  pause  he  said, 
"  Whether  you  and  me  shall  be  good  friends,  young  man, 
depends  entirely  on  the  respect  which  you  show  to  the 
family  of  the  Bumpuses  —  said  family  havin'  corned  over 
to  Ireland  with  the  Conkerer  in  the  year ,  ah  !  I  mis- 
remember  the  year,  but  that  don't  matter,  bein'  a  subject 
of  no  consarn  w^otiver,  'xcept  to  schoolboys  who'll  get  their 
licks  if  they  can't  teU,  and  sarve  'em  right  too.  But  if 
you're  willin'  I'm  agreeable,  and  there's  an  end  o'  the 
wliole  affair." 

So  saying,  John  Bumpus  suffered  a  bland  smile  to  light 
up  his  ruddy  countenance,  and  resumed  his  march  in  the 
"  wake,"  as  he  expressed  it,  of  his  companions. 

Half  an  hour  later  they  arrived  at  Sandy  Ccve,  a  small 
native  settlement  and  mission  station,  and  were  soon  seated 
Rt  tV»^  ^'^='^^+able  board  of  Widow  Sti\art. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

T?rB  MISBIONAUT  — SUSPICIONS,  SURPRISES,  AND  SURMISES. 

Sandy  Cove  was  a  small  settlement,  inhabited  partly 
by  native  converts  to  Christianity,  and  partly  by  a  few 
European  traders,  who,  having  found  that  the  place  was 
in  the  usual  track  of  South-Sea  whalers,  and  frequently 
visited  by  that  class  of  vessels  as  well  as  by  other  ships, 
had  established  several  stores  or  trading-houses,  and  had 
taken  up  their  permanent  abode  there. 

The  island  was  one  of  those  the  natives  of  which  were 
early  induced  to  agree  to  the  introduction  of  the  gospel. 
At  the  time  of  which  we  write,  it  was  in  that  transition 
state  which  renders  the  work  of  the  missionary  one  of 
anxiety,  toil,  and  extreme  danger,  as  well  as  one  of  love. 

But  the  Rev.  Frederick  Mason  was  a  man  eminently 
fitted  to  fill  the  post  which  he  had  selected  as  his  sphere 
of  labor.  Bold  and  manly  in  the  extreme,  he  was  more 
like  a  soldier  in  outward  aspect  than  a  missionary.  Yet 
the  gentleness  of  the  lamb  dwelt  in  his  breast  and  beamed 
in  his  eye  ;  and  to  a  naturally  indomitable  and  enthusiastic 
disposition  was  added  burning  zeal  in  the  cause  of  his 
beloved  Master. 

Six  years  previous  to  the  opening  of  our  tale,  he  had 
come  to  Sandy  Cove  with  his  wife  and  child,  the  latter  a 
girl  of  six  years  of  age  at  that  time.  In  one  year  death 
bereaved  the  missionary  of  his  wife,  and,  about  the  same 


34  GASCOYNE, 

time,  war  broke  out  in  the  island  between  the  chiefs  who 
clung  to  the  idolatrous  rites  and  bloody  practices  peculiar 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  South  Sea  Islands,  and  those 
chiefs  who  were  inclined  to  favor  Christianity.  This  war 
continued  to  rage  more  or  less  violently  for  several  years, 
frequently  slumbering,  sometimes  breaking  out  with  sud- 
den violence,  like  the  fitful  eruptions  of  the  still  unextinct 
volcanoes  in  those  distant  regions. 

During  all  this  period  of  bloodshed  and  alarms,  the 
missionary  stuck  to  his  post.  The  obstinacy  of  hatred 
was  being  gradually  overcome  by  the  superior  pertinacity 
of  zeal  in  a  good  cause,  and  the  invariable  practice  —  so 
incomprehensible  to  the  savage  mind  —  of  returning  good 
for  evil.  The  result  was  that  the  Sabbath  bell  still  sent  its 
tinkling  sound  over  the  verdant  slopes  above  Sandy  Cove, 
and  the  hymn  of  praise  still  arose,  morning  and  evening, 
from  the  little  church,  which,  composed  partly  of  wood, 
partly  of  coral  rock,  had  been  erected  under  the  eye,  and, 
to  a  large  extent,  by  the  hands  of  the  missionary. 

But  false  friends  within  the  camp  were  more  dangerous 
and  troublesome  to  Mr.  Mason  than  avowed  enemies  with- 
out. Some  of  the  European  traders,  especially,  who  set- 
tled on  the  island  a  few  years  after  the  missionary  had 
made  it  habitable,  were  the  worst  foes  he  had  to  contend 
with. 

In  the  same  vessel  that  brought  tlie  missionary  to  the 
island,  there  came  a  widow,  Mrs.  Stuart,  with  her  son 
Henry,  then  a  stout  lad  of  thirteen.  Tlie  widow  was  not, 
however,  a  member  of  the  missionary's  household.  She 
came  there  to  settle  with  her  son,  who  soon  built  her 
a  rudely-constructed  but  sufhciently  habitable  hut,  which, 
in  after  years,  was  enclosed,  and  greatly  improved;  so 
that  it  at  last  assumed  the  dimensions  of  a  rambling  pictu- 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  85 

resque  cottage,  whitewashed,  brilliant,  and  neat  in  its  set., 
ting  of  bright  green. 

The  widow,  although  not  an  official  assistant  to  the 
missionary,  was  nevertheless  a  most  efficient  one.  She 
taught  in  his  schools,  being  familiar  with  the  native 
tongue  ;  and,  when  the  settlement  grew-  in  numbers,  both 
of  white  and  black,  she  became  known  as  the  good  angel 
of  the  place, —  the  one  who  was  ever  ready  with  sympathy 
for  the  sorrowful,  and  comfort  for  the  dying.  She  was 
fair  and  fragile,  and  had  been  exceedingly'  beautiful ;  but 
care  had  stamped  his  mark  deeply  in  her  brow.  Neither 
care  nor  time,  however,  could  mar  the  noble  outline  of  her 
fine  features,  or  equal  the  love  that  beamed  in  her  gentle 
eyes. 

The  widow  was  a  great  mystery  to  the  gossips  of  Sandy 
Cove  ;  for  there  are  gossips  even  in  the  most  distant  isles 
of  the  sea.  Some  men  (we  refer,  of  course,  to  white  men) 
thought  that  she  must  have  been  the  wife  of  an  admiral  at 
least,  and  had  fallen  into  distressed  circumstances,  and  gone 
to  these  islands  to  hide  her  poverty.  Others  said  she  was 
a  female  Jesuit  in  disguise,  sent  there  to  counteract  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel  by  the  missionary.  A  few  even 
ventured  to  hint  their  opinion  that  she  was  an  outlaw,  "  or 
something  of  that  sort,"  and  shrewdly  suspected  that  Mr. 
Mason  knew  more  about  her  than  he  was  pleased  to  tell. 
But  no  one,  either  by  word  or  look,  had  ever  ventured  to 
express  an  opinion  of  any  kind  to  herself,  or  in  the  hear- 
ing of  her  son.  The  latter,  indeed,  displayed  such  uncom- 
mon breadth  of  shoulders,  and  such  unusual  development 
of  muscle,  that  it  was  seldom  necessary  for  him  —  even  in 
those  savage  regions  and  wild  times  —  to  display  anything 
else  in  order  to  make  men  respectful. 

While  our  three  friends  were  doing  justice  to  the  bacon 


86  GASCOYNE, 

and  breadfniit  set  before  them  bj  Widow  Stuart,  the 
widow  herself  was  endeavoring  to  repress  some  strong 
feeling,  which  caused  her  breast  to  heave  more  than  once, 
and  induced  her  to  turn  to  some  trifling  piece  of  household 
duty  to  conceal  her  emotion.  These  symptoms  were  not 
lost  upon  her  son,  whose  suspicions  and  anger  had  been 
aroused  by  the  familiarity  of  Gascoyne.  Making  some 
excuse  for  leaving  the  room,  towards  the  conclusion  ux  ihe 
meal,  he  followed  his  mother  to  an  outhouse,  whither  she 
had  gone  to  fetch  some  fresh  milk. 

"  Mother,"  said  Henry,  respectfully,  yet  with  an  un- 
wonted touch  of  sternness  in  his  voice;  "there  is  some 
mystery  connected  with  this  man  Gascoyne  that  I  feel 
convinced  you  can  clear  up  —  " 

"  Dear  Henry,"  interrupted  the  widow,  and  her  cheek 
grew  pale  as  she  spoke,  "  Do  not,  I  beseech  you,  press  me 
on  this  subject.     I  cannot  clear  it  up." 

"  Say  you  will  not,  mother,"  answered  Henry,  in  a  tone 
of  disappointment. 

"  I  would  if  I  dared,"  continued  the  widow.  The  time 
may  come  w^hen  I  —  " 

"  But  why  not  now,"  urged  the  youth,  hastily.  "  I  am 
old  enough,  surely,  to  be  trusted.  During  the  four  visits 
this  man  has  paid  to  us,  I  have  observed  a  degree  of 
familiarity  on  his  part  which  no  man  has  a  right  to  exhibit 
towards  you  ;  and  which,  did  I  not  see  that  you  permit  it, 
no  man  would  dare  to  show.  Why  do  you  allow  him  to 
call  you  '  Mary  ?  '   No  one  else  in  the  settlement  does  so." 

"  He  is  a  very  old  friend,"  replied  the  widow,  sadly. 
"  I  have  known  him  from  childhood.  We  were  playmates 
long  ago." 

''  Humph  .  that's  some  sort  of  reason,  no  doubt ;  but 
you  don't  appear  to  hke  him.    and  his  presence   always 


THE  SANDAIrWOOD  TRADER.  37 

seems  to  give  you  pain.  Why  do  you  suffer  yourself  to 
be  annoyed  by  him  ?  Only  say  the  word,  mother,  and  I'll 
kick  him  out  of  the  house,  neck  and  crop  — " 

"  Hush,  boy ;  you  are  too  violent." 

"  Too  violent !  Why,  it  would  make  a  coward  violent 
to  see  his  mother  tormented  as  you  are  by  this  fellow,  and 
not  be  allowed  to  put  a  stop  to  it.     I  suspect  —  " 

"  Henry,"  said  the  widow,  again  interrupting  her  exas- 
perated son,  "  do  you  think  your  mother  would  do  what  is 
wrong : " 

"  Mother,"  exclaimed  the  youth,  seizing  her  hand,  and 
kissing  her  brow  almost  violently,  "  I  would  as  soon  think 
that  the  angels  above  would  do  wrong;  but  I  firmly 
believe  that  you  are  suffering  wrong  to  be  done  to  you  ; 
and  — just  listen  to  the  fellow  !  I  do  believe  he's  howling 
for  more  bacon  at  this  moment !  " 

There  could  be  no  doubt  whatever  about  the  fact ;  for 
just  then  the  deep  tones  of  Gascoyne's  voice  rang  through 
the  cottage,  as  he  reiterated  the  name  of  the  widow,  who 
hastened  away,  followed  by  her  son.  Henry  scarcely  took 
the  trouble  to  conceal  the  frown  that  darkened  his  brow  as 
he  reentered  the  apartment  where  his  companions  were 
seated. 

"Why,  Mary,  your  bacon  surpasses  anything  I  have 
tasted  for  the  last  six  months ;  let's  have  another  rasher, 
like  a  good  woman.  That  mountain  air  sharpens  the  ap- 
petite amazingly ;  especially  of  men  who  are  more  accus- 
tomed to  mount  the  rigging  of  a  ship  than  the  hills  on 
shore.     What  say  you,  John  Bumpus  ?  " 

John  Bumpus  could  not  at  that  moment  say  anything,  in 
consequence  of  his  mouth  being  so  full  of  the  bacon 
referred  to  that  there  was  no  room  for  a  single  word  to 
pass  his  lips.     In  the  height  of  his  good-humor,  however. 


38  GASCOTNE, 

he  did  his  best  by  signs  to  express  his  entire  approval  of 
the  widow's  provender,  and  even  attempted  to  speak.  In 
so  doing  he  choked  himself,  and  continued  in  convulsions 
for  the  next  five  minutes,  to  the  immense  delight  of  the 
captain,  who  vowed  he  had  never  before  seen  such  a  blue 
face  in  the  whole  course  of  his  life. 

While  this  scene  was  enacting,  and  ere  Jo  Bumpus  had 
effectually  wiped  away  the  tears  from  his  eyes,  and  cleared 
the  bacon  out  of  his  windpipe,  the  door  opened,  and  the 
commander  of  II.  M.  S.  Talisman  entered. 

Edmund  Montague  was  a  young  man  to  hold  such  a 
responsible  position  in  the  navy ;  but  he  was  a  bold,  vigor 
ous  little  Englishman,  —  a  sort  of  gentlemanly  and  well- 
educated  John  Bull  terrier ;  of  frank  address,  agreeable 
manners,  and  an  utterly  reckless  temperament,  which  was 
qualified  and  curbed,  however,  by  good  sense  and  hard- 
earned  experience. 

"  Good-day  to  you,  Mrs.  Stuart ;  I  trust  you  will  forgive 
my  abrupt  intrusion,  but  urgent  business  must  be  my  ex- 
cuse. I  have  called  to  have  a  little  further  conversation 
with  your  son  respecting  that  rascally  pirate  who  has 
given  me  so  much  trouble.  If  he  will  have  the  goodness 
to  take  a  short  walk  with  me,  I  shall  be  much  indebted." 

"  By  all  means,"  said  Henry,  rising  and  putting  on  his  cap. 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Gascoyne,  as  they  were  about  to  leave 
the  room,  "  if  the  commander  of  the  Talisman  would  con- 
descend to  take  a  little  information  from  a  stranger,  he 
miglit  learn  something  to  the  purpose  regarding  the  pirate 
Durward  ;  for  he  it  is,  I  presume,  of  whom  you  are  in 
search." 

"  I  shall  be  happy  to  gain  information  from  any  source," 
replied  Montague,  eyeing  the  captain  narrowly,  "Ai'6 
you  a  resident  in  this  island  ?  " 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  39 

*  No,  I  am  not ;  my  home  is  on  the  sea,  and  has  been 
eince  I  was  a  lad." 

"  Ah  !  you  have  fallen  in  with  this  pirate,  then,  on  your 
native  ocean,  I  fancy,  and  have  disagreeable  cause  to  re- 
member him,  perchance,"  said  Montague,  smiling.  "  Has 
he  given  you  much  trouble  ?  " 

"  Ay,  that  he  has,"  replied  Gascoyne,  with  a  sudden 
scowl  of  ferocity.  "  No  one  in  these  seas  has  received  so 
much  annoyance  from  him  as  I  have.  Any  one  who  could 
rid  them  of  his  presence  would  do  good  service  to  the  cause 
of  humanity.  But,"  he  added,  while  a  grim  smile  over- 
spread his  handsome  face,  "  it  is  said  that  few  vessels  can 
cope  with  his  schooner  in  speed,  and  I  can  answer  for  it 
that  he  is  a  bold  man,  fond  of  fighting,  with  plenty  of 
reckless  cutthroats  to  back  him,  and  more  likely  to  give 
chase  to  a  sloop-of-war  than  to  show  her  his  heels.  I  trust 
you  are  well  manned  and  armed,  Captain  Montague;  for 
this  Durward  is  a  desperate  fellow,  I  assure  you." 

The  young  commander's  countenance  flushed  as  he 
replied,  "  Your  anxiety  on  my  account,  sir,  is  quite  un- 
called for.  Had  I  nothing  but  my  own  longboat  where- 
with to  attack  this  pirate,  it  would  be  my  duty  to  do  so. 
I  had  scarcely  expected  to  find  unmanly  fears  exhibited  in 
one  so  stalwart  in  appearance  as  you  are.  Perhaps  it  may 
relieve  you  to  know  that  I  am  both  well  manned  and 
armed.  It  is  not  usual  for  a  British  man-of-war  to  cruise 
in  distant  seas  in  a  less  suitable  condition  to  protect  her 
flag.  And  yet,  methinks,  one  who  has  spent  so  many 
years  of  his  life  on  salt  water  might  know  the  difference 
between  a  frigate  and  a  sloop-of-war." 

"  Be  not  so  hasty,  young  man,"  answered  Gascoyne, 
gravely;  "you  are  not  on  your  own  quarter-deck  just  now. 
There  ought  to  be  civility  between    strangers.      1   may, 


*0  GASCOYNE, 

indeed,  be  very  ignorant  of  the  cut  and  rig  of  British  war 
vessels,  seeing  that  I  am  but  a  plain  trader  in  seas  where 
ships  of  war  are  not  often  wont  to  unfurl  their  flags,  but 
there  can  be  no  harm,  and  there  was  meant  no  offence,  in 
warning  you  to  be  on  your  guard." 

A  tinge  of  sarcasm  still  lingered  in  Captain  Montague's 
lone  as  he  replied,  "  Well,  I  thank  you  for  the  caution. 
But  to  come  to  the  point,  what  know  you  of  this  pirate,  — 
this  Durward,  as  he  calls  himself;  though  I  have  no  doubt 
he  has  sailed  under  so  many  aliases  that  he  may  have  for- 
gotten his  real  name." 

"  I  know  him  to  be  a  villain,"  replied  Gascoyne. 

"  That  much  I  know  as  well  as  you,"  said  Montague. 

"  And  yet  it  is  said  he  takes  fits  of  remorse  at  times,  and 
would  fain  change  his  way  of  life  if  he  could,"  continued 
Gascoyne. 

"  That  1  might  guess,"  returned  the  other ;  "  most  wicked 
men  have  their  seasons  of  remorse.  Can  you  tell  me 
nothing  of  him  more  definite  than  this,  friend  ?  " 

"  I  can  tell  you  that  he  is  the  very  bane  of  my  exist- 
ence," said  Gascoyne,  the  angry  expression  again  flitting 
for  a  moment  across  his  countenance.  "  He  not  only  pur- 
sues and  haunts  me  like  my  own  shadow,  but  he  gets  me 
into  scrapes  by  passing  his  schooner  off  for  mine  when  he 
is  caught." 

The  young  oflScer  glanced  in  surprise  at  the  speaker  as 
he  uttered  these  words. 

"  Indeed,"  said  he,  "  that  is  a  strange  confusion  of  ideas. 
So,  then,  the  two  schooners  bear  so  strong  a  resemblance 
as  to  be  easily  mistaken  for  each  other  ?  " 

"  They  are  twins.  They  were  built  at  the  same  time, 
from  the  same  moulds,  and  were  intended  for  the  sandal- 
wood trade  between  these  islands  and  Calcutta,  Manilla, 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER,  41 

and  Australia.  One  of  them,  the  Avenger,  was  seized 
on  her  first  voyage  bj  this  Durward,  then  mate  of  the 
schooner,  and  has  ever  since  scoured  tlie  South  Seas  as  a 
pirate ;  the  other,  named  the  Foam,  which  I  have  the 
misfortune  to  command,  still  continues  the  traffic  for  which 
she  was  originally  built." 

"  Ha ! "  exclaimed  Montague,  turning  suddenly  round 
with  an  inquiring  gaze  at  the  stalwart  figure  of  the  sandal- 
wood trader;  "it  is  most  fortunate  that  I  have  met  with 
you,  Mr.  Gascoyne.  I  doubt  not  that  you  can  conduct  me 
to  this  vessel  of  yours,  so  that  I  may  know  the  pirate 
when  I  fall  in  with  him.  If  the  two  vessels  resemble 
each  other  so  closely,  a  sight  of  the  Foam  will  be  of  great 
service  to  me  in  my  search  after  the  Avenger." 

"  You  are  most  welcome  to  a  sight  of  my  craft,"  replied 
Gascoyne.  "  The  only  difference  between  the  two  is,  that 
the  figurehead  of  the  pirate  is  a  griffin's  head,  painted 
scarlet ;  that  of  my  schooner  is  a  female,  painted  white. 
There  is  also  a  red  streak  round  the  sides  of  the  pirate  ; 
the  hull  of  the  Foam  is  entirely  black." 

"  Will  you  come  on  board  my  vessel,  and  accompany 
me  in  one  of  my  boats  to  yours  ?  "   inquired  Montague. 

"  That  is  impossible,"  replied  Gascoyne.  I  came  here 
on  urgent  business,  which  will  not  brook  delay ;  but  my 
schooner  lies  on  the  other  side  of  the  island.  If  you 
pull  round,  my  mate  will  receive  you.  You  will  find  him 
a  most  intelligent  and  hospitable  man.  He  will  conduct 
you  over  the  vessel,  and  give  you  all  the  information  you 
may  desire.  Meanwhile,"  added  the  captain  of  the  Foam, 
rising  and  putting  on  his  cap,  "  I  must  bid  you  adieu." 

"  Nay,  but  you  have  not  yet  told  me  when  or  where  you 
last  saw  or  heard  of  this  remarkable  pirate,  who  is  so 
clever  at  re])rer,enting  other  people,  perhaps  I  should  rather 


42  GASCOYXE, 

Bay  misrepresenting  them,"  said  Montague,  with  a  mean- 
ing smile. 

"  I  saw  him  no  longer  ago  than  this  morning,"  replied 
Gaseoyne,  gravely.  "He  is  now  in  these  waters,  with 
what  intent  I  know  not,  unless  from  his  unnatural  delight 
in  persecuting  me,  or,  perhaps,  because  fate  has  led  him 
into  the  very  jaws  of  the  lion." 

"  Humph!  he  will  find  that  I  bite  before  I  roar,  if  he 
does  get  between  my  teeth,"  said  the  young  officer. 

"  Surely  you  are  mistaken,  Gaseoyne,"  interposed 
Henry  Stuart,  who,  along  with  .John  Bumpus,  had  iiith- 
erto  been  silent  listeners  to  the  foregoing  conversation. 
"  Several  of  our  people  have  been  out  fishing  among  the 
islands,  and  have  neither  seen  nor  heard  of  this  redoubted 
pirate." 

"  That  is  possible  enough,  boy  ;  but  I  have  seen  him, 
nevertheless,  and  I  shall  be  much  surprised  if  you  do  not 
see  and  hear  more  of  him  than  you  desire  before  many 
days  are  out.  That  villain  does  not  sail  the  seas  for  pas- 
time, you  may  depend  on  it." 

As  Gaseoyne  said  this,  the  outer  door  of  the  house  was 
burst  violently  open,  and  the  loud  voice  of  a  boy  was 
heard  in  the  porch  or  short  passage  that  intervened  between 
it  and  the  principal  apartment  of  the  cottage  shouting 
wildly  — 

*'  Ho  !  hallo  !  hurrah  !  I  say.  Widow  Stuart !  Henry  ! 
here's  a  business  —  sich  fun  !  only  think,  the  pirate's 
turned  up  at  last,  and  murdered  half  the  niggers  in  —  " 

There  Avas  an  abrupt  stoppage  both  of  the  voice  and 
the  muscular  action  of  this  juvenile  tornado  as  he  threw 
open  the  door  with  a  crash,  and,  instead  of  the  widow  or 
her  son,  met  the  gaze  of  so  many  strangers.  The  boy 
stood  for  a  fe^\  seconds  on  the  threshold,  with  his  curly 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  IRADER.  43 

brown  hair  dishevelled,  and  his  dark  eyes  staring  in  sur- 
prise, first  at  one,  then  at  another  of  the  party,  until  at 
length  they  alighted  on  John  Burapus.  The  mouth  which 
up  to  that  moment  had  formed  a  round  O  of  astonishment 
relaxed  into  a  broad  grin,  and,  with  sudden  energy,  ex- 
claimed :    "  What  a  grampus  I  " 

Having  uttered  this  complimentary  remark,  the  urchin 
was  about  to  retreat,  when  Henry  made  a  sudden  dart  at 
him,  and  caught  him  by  the  collar. 

"Where  got  you  the  news.  Will  Corrie?"  said  Henry, 
giving  the  boy  a  squeeze  with  his  strong  hand. 

"  Oh,  please,  be  merciful,  Henry,  and  I'll  tell  you  all 
about  it.  But,  pray,  don't  give  me  over  to  that  grampus," 
cried  the  lad,  pretending  to  whimper.  "  I  got  the  news 
from  a  feller,  that  said  he'd  got  it  from  a  feller,  that  saw  a 
feller,  who  said  he'd  heard  a  feller  tell  another  feller,  that 
he  saw  a  black  feller  in  the  bush,  somewhere  or  other 
'tween  this  and  the  other  end  o'  the  island,  with  a  shot- 
hole  in  his  right  arm,  running  like  a  cogolampus,  with  ten 
pirates  in  full  chase.  Ah  !  oh  !  have  mercy,  Henry ; 
really,  my  constitution  will  break  down  if  you  —  " 

"  Silence,  you  chatter-box !  and  give  me  a  reasonable 
account  of  what  you  have  heard  or  seen,  if  you  can." 

The  volatile  urchin,  who  might  have  been  about  thir- 
teen years  of  age,  became  preternaturally  grave  all  of  a 
sudden,  and,  looking  up  earnestly  in  his  questioner's  face, 
said,  "  Really,  Henry,  you  are  becoming  unreasonable  in 
your  old  age,  to  ask  me  to  give  you  a  reasonable  account 
of  a  thing,  and  at  the  same  time  to  be  silent !  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  Corrie,  I'll  throttle  you  if  you  don't 
speak,"  said  Henry. 

"All!  you  couldn't,"  pleaded  Corrie,  in  a  tone  of  deep 
pathos. 


44  GASCOYNE, 

"P'laps,"  observed  Jolin  Bumpus,  "p'raps  if  you  hand 
over  the  young  gen'l'm'n  to  the  '  grampus,'  heHl  make  him 
speak." 

On  hearing  this,  the  boy  set  up  a  howl  of  affected  de- 
spair, and  suffered  Henry  to  lead  him  unresistingly  to 
within  a  few  feet  of  Bumpus  ;  but,  just  as  he  w;]s  within 
an  inch  of  the  huge  fist  of  that  nautical  monster,  he  sud- 
denly wrenched  his  collar  out  of  his  captor's  grasp,  darted 
to  the  door,  turned  round  on  the  threshold,  hit  the  side  of 
his  own  nose  a  sounding  slap  with  the  forefinger  cf  his 
right  hand,  uttered  an  unexpressively  savage  yell,  \&n- 
ished  from  the  scene,  and, 

"  Like  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision, 
Left  not  a  wreck  behind," 

except  the  wieck  of  the  milk-saucer  of  the  household  cat, 
which  sagacious  creature  had  wisely  taken  to  flight  at  the 
first  symptom  of  war. 

The  boy  was  instantly  followed  by  Henry,  but  so  hght 
was  his  foot,  that  the  fastest  runner  in  the  settlement  had 
to  penetrate  the  woods  immediately  behind  his  mother's 
bouse  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  before  he  succeeded  in  again 
laying  hold  of  the  refractory  lad's  collar. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Corrie,  by  such  conduct  ?  "  said 
his  captor,  shaking  him  vigorously.  "  I  have  half  a  mind 
to  give  you  a  wallopping." 

"  Never  do  anything  by  halves,  Henry,"  said  the  boy, 
mildly.  "  /  never  do.  It's  a  bad  habit ;  always  go  the 
whole  length  or  none.  Now  that  we  are  alone,  I'll  give 
you  a  reasonable  account  of  what  I  know,  if  you'll  remove 
your  hand  from  my  collar.  You  forget  that  I  am  growing, 
and  that,  when  I  am  big  enough,  the  da}'  of  reckoning 
between  us  will  surely  come  !" 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER  4i 

*  But  why  tvould  you  not  give  me  the  information  I 
want  in  the  house.  The  people  you  saw  there  are  as  much 
interested  in  it  as  I  am." 

"  Oh  !  are  they  ?  "  returned  Corrie,  with  a  glance  of 
peculiar  meaning ;  perhaps  they  are  more  interested  thar 
you  are." 

"  How  so  ?  " 

"  Why,  how  do  I  know,  and  how  do  you  know,  that 
tliese  fellows  are  not  pirates  in  disguise  ?  " 

"  Because,"  said  Henry,  "  one  of  them  is  an  old  friend, 

—  that  is,  an  acquaintance  —  at  least  a  sort  of  intimate, 
who  has  been  many  and  many  a  time  at  our  house  before, 
and  my  mother  knows  him  well.     I  can't  say  I  like  him, 

—  that  is  to  say,  I  don't  exactly  like  some  of  his  ways,  — 
though  I  don't  dislike  the  man  himself." 

"  A  most  unsatisfactory  style  of  reply,  Henry,  for  a  man 

—  ah,  beg  pardon,  a  boy  —  of  your  straightforward  char- 
acter. Which  o'  the  three  are  you  speaking  of — the 
grampus  ?  " 

"  No,  the  other  big,  handsome-looking  fellow." 

"  And  you're  sure  you've  known  him  long?  "  continued 
the  boy,  while  an  expression  of  perplexity  flitted  over  his 
face. 

"  Quite  sure  ;  —  why  ?  " 

"  Because  /  have  seen  you  often  enough,  and  your 
house  and  your  mother,  —  not  to  mention  your  cat  and 
}'Oui'  pigs,  and  hens ;  but  I've  never  seen  Jiim  before  to- 
day." 

"  That's  because  he  usually  comes  at  night,  and  seldom 
«tays  more  than  an  hour  or  two." 

"  A  most  uncomfortable  style  of  acquaintance,"  said 
Corrie,  trying  to  look  wise,  which  was  an  utterly  futile 
effort,  seeing  that  1  is  co^antenance  was  fat  and  round  and 


46  GASCOYNE, 

rosy,  and  very  much  the  reverse  of  philosophical.  "  But 
how  do  you  know  that  the  grampus  is  not  tlie  pirate  ?  " 

"  Because  he  is  one  of  Gascoyne's  men." 

"Oh!  his  name  is  Gascoyne,  is  it  ?  —  a  mo>t  piratical 
name  it  is.  However,  since  he  is  your  friend,  Henry,  it's 
all  right ;  what's  tother's  name  ?  " 

"  Bumpus  —  John  Bumpus." 

On  hearing  this,  the  boy  clapped  both  hands  to  his  sides, 
expanded  his  eyes  and  mouth,  showed  his  teeth,  and  finally 
gave  vent  to  roars  of  uncontrollable  laughter,  swaying  his 
body  about  the  while  as  if  in  agony. 

"  Oh  dear !  "  he  cried,  after  a  time,  "John  Bumpus,  ha! 
ha!  ha!  what  a  name!  —  John  Bumpus,  ha!  ha!  the  gram- 
pus —  why,  it's  magnificent,  ha  !  ha !  '"'  and  again  the  boy 
gave  free  vent  to  his  merriment,  while  his  companion 
looked  on  with  a  quiet  grin  of  amusement. 

Presently  Corrie  became  grave,  and  said,  "  But  what 
of  the  third,  the  little  chap,  all  over  gold  lace  ?  P'r'aps 
he's  the  pirate.  He  looked  bold  enough  a'most  for  any- 
thing." 

"  Why,  you  goose,  that's  the  commander  of  his  Britan- 
nic Majesty's  frigate  Talisman." 

"  Indeed  ?  I  hope  his  Britannic  Majesty  has  many  more 
like  him." 

"  Plenty  more  like  him.  But  come,  boy ;  what  have 
you  heard  of  this  pirate,  and  wh  \t  d*'  "ou  mean  about  a 
wounded  nigger  ? " 

"  I  just  mean  this,"  answered  the  lad,  suddenly  becoming 
serious,  "  that  when  I  was  out  on  the  mountain  this  morn- 
ing, I  thought  I  would  cross  the  ridge,  and  v/hen  I  did  so, 
the  first  thing  1  saw  was  a  schooner  lying  in  the  bay  at 
the  foot  of  the  hill,  where  you  and  I  have  so  often  gone 
chasing  pigs  together.    Well,  beino:  curious  to  know   what 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  47 

sort  of  a  craft  she  was,  I  went  down  the  hill,  intendiu'  to 
go  aboard  ;  but  before  I'd  got  half  way  through  the  cocoa- 
nut  grove,  I  heard  a  horrible  yell  of  a  savage.  So,  thinks 
I,  here  comes  them  blackguard  pngans  again,  to  attack  the 
settlement ;  and  before  I  could  hide  out  of  the  way,  a 
naked  savage  almost  ran  into  my  arms.  He  was  sea- 
green  in  the  face  with  fright,  and  blood  was  running  over 
his  right  arm. 

"  The  moment  he  saw  me,  instead  of  splitting  me  up 
with  his  knife  and  eating  me  alive,  as  these  fellers  are  so 
fond  of  doin',  he  gave  a  start,  and  another  great  cry,  and 
doubled  on  his  track  like  a  hare.  His  cry  was  answered 
by  a  shout  from  half  a  dozen  sailors,  who  burst  out  of  the 
thicket  at  that  moment,  and  I  saw  they  were  in  pursuit  of 
him.  Down  I  went  at  once  behind  a  thick  bush,  and  the 
whole  lot  o'  the  blind  bats  passed  right  on  in  full  cry, 
within  half  an  inch  of  my  nose.  And  I  never  saw  sich  a 
set  o'  piratical-looking  villains  since  I  was  born.  I  felt  quite 
sure  that  yon  schooner  is  the  pirate  that  has  been  doing 
so  much  mischief  hereabouts ;  so  I  came  back  as  fast  as  my 
legs  could  carry  me,  to  tell  you  what  I  had  seen.  There, 
you  have  got  all  that  I  know  of  the  matter  now." 

"  You  are  wrong,  boy.  The  schooner  you  saw  is  not 
the  pirate ;  it  is  the  Foam.  Strange,  very  strange  1 "  mut- 
tered Henry. 

"  What's  strange,"  inquired  the  lad. 

"  Not  the  appearance  of  the  wounded  nigger,"  answered 
the  other ;  "  I  can  explain  all  about  him,  but  the  sailors  — 
that  puzzles  mt-.^' 

Henry  then  related  the  morning's  adventure  to  his  young 
companion. 

"  But,"  continued  he,  after  detailing  all  that  the  reader 
already  knows,  "  T  cannot  comprehend  how  the    pirates 


48  ^ASCOYNE, 

you  speak  of  could  have  landed  without  their  vessel  being 
in  sight ;  and  that  nothing  is  to  be  seen  from  the  mountain- 
tops  except  the  Talisman  on  the  one  side  of  the  island  and 
the  Foam  on  the  other,  I  can  vouch  for.  Boats  might  lie 
concealed  among  the  rocks  on  the  shore,  no  doubt.  But 
no  boats  would  venture  to  put  ashore  with  hostile  inten- 
tions, unless  the  ship  to  which  they  belonged  were  within 
eight.  As  for  the  crew  of  the  Foam,  they  are  ordinary 
seamen,  and  not  likely  to  amuse  themselves  chasing 
wounded  savages,  even  if  they  were  allowed  to  go  ashore, 
which  I  think  is  not  likely;  for  Gascoyne  knows  well 
enough  that  that  side  of  the  island  is  inhabited  by  the 
pagans,  who  would  as  soon  kill  and  eat  a  man  as  they 
would  a  pig." 

"  Sooner,  —  the  monsters  ! "  exclaimed  the  boy,  indig- 
nantly ;  for  he  had,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  been  an 
eye-witness  of  the  horrible  practice  of  cannibalism  which 
prevails,  even  at  the  present  day,  among  some  of  the 
South  Sea  islanders. 

"  There  is  a  mystery  here,"  said  Henry,  starting  up, 
"and  the  sooner  we  alarm  the  people  of  the  settlement, 
the  better.  Come,  Corrie,  we  shall  return  to  the  house, 
and  let  the  British  officer  hear  what  you  have  told  me." 

When  the  lad  had  finished  relating  his  adventure  to  the 
party  in  Widow  Stuart's  cottage,  Gascoyne  said  quietly, 
'*  I  would  advise  you,  Captain  Montague,  to  return  to  your 
ship  and  make  your  preparations  for  capturing  this  pirate, 
for  that  he  is  even  now  almost  within  range  of  you  guns, 
I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt.  As  to  the  men  appearing 
pu-atical-looking  fellows  to  this  boy,  I  don't  wonder  at  that ; 
most  men  are  wild  enough  when  their  blood  is  up.  Some 
of  my  own  men  are  as  savage  to  look  at  as  one  would  de- 
sire.    But  I  gave  strict  orders  this  morning  that  only  a 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  49 

few  were  to  go  ashore,  and  these  were  to  keep  well  out  of 
siglit  of  the  settlement  of  the  savages.  Doubtless  they 
are  all  aboard  by  this  time.  If  you  decide  upon  anything 
like  a  hunt  among  the  mountains,  I  can  lend  you  a  few 
hands." 

"Thank  you.  I  may  perhaps  require  some  of  your 
hands,"  said  Montague,  with  a  dash  of  sarcasm  in  his 
tone  ;  "  meanwhile,  since  you  will  not  favor  me  with  your 
company  on  board,  I  shall  bid  you  good-afternoon." 

He  bowed  stiffly,  and,  leaving  the  cottage,  hastened  on 
board  his  ship,  where  the  shrill  notes  of  the  boatswain's 
whistle,  and  the  deep  hoarse  tones  of  that  officer's  gruflf 
voice,  quickly  announced  to  the  people  on  shore  that  orders 
had  been  promptly  given,  and  were  in  course  of  being  as 
promptly  obeyed. 

During  the  hour  that  followed  these  events,  the  captain 
of  the  Foam  was  closeted  with  Widow  Stuart  and  her  son, 
and  the  youthful  Corrie  was  engaged  in  laying  the  founda- 
tions of  a  never-to-die  friendship  with  John  Bumpus,  or, 
as  tnat  eccentric  youngster  preferred  to  style  him,  Jq 
Grampus. 

4 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  pastor's   household  — preparations   «t*H    WA«. 

When  the  conference  in  the  widow's  cottage  closed, 
Henry  Stuart  and  Gascoyne  hastened  into  the  woods  to- 
gether, and  followed  a  narrow  footpath  which  led  towards 
the  interior  of  the  island.  Ai-riving  at  a  spot  where  this 
path  branched  into  two,  Henry  took  the  one  that  ran  round 
the  outskirts  of  the  settlement  towards  the  residence  of 
Mr.  Mason,  while  his  companion  pursued  the  other  which 
struck  into  the  recesses  of  the  mountains. 

"  Come  in,"  cried  the  missionary,  as  Henry  knocked  at 
the  door  of  his  study.  "  Ah,  Henry,  I'm  glad  to  see  you. 
You  were  in  my  thoughts  this  moment.  I  have  come  to  a 
difficulty  in  my  drawings  of  the  spire  of  our  new  church, 
and  I  want  jGur  fertile  imagination  'o  devise  some  plan 
whereby  we  may  overcome  it.  But  of  that  I  shall  speak 
presently.  I  see  from  your  looks  that  more  important 
matters  have  brought  you  hither.  Notliing  wrong  at  the 
cottage,  I  trust  ?  " 

"  No,  nothing  —  that  is  to  sslv,  not  exactly  wrong  ;  but 
tilings  I  fear,  arc  not  altogether  riglit  in  the  settlement. 
I  have  had  an  unfortunate  rencounter  this  morning  with 
one  of  the  savages,  which  is  likely  to  lead  to  mischief;  for 
blood  was  drawn,  and  I  know  the  fellow  to  be  revengeful. 
In  addition  to  this,  it  is  suspected  that  Durward,  the  pirate, 
IS  liovering  among  the  isl.-mdt,  and  mcdilales  a  descent  on 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  51 

US.  How  much  tn  th  there  may  be  in  the  report  I  can- 
not pretend  to  guess  ;  but  Gascoyne,  the  captain  of  the 
Foam,  has  been  over  at  our  cottage,  and  says  he  has  seen 
the  pirate,  and  that  there  is  no  saying  what  he  may  ven- 
ture to  attempt ;  for  he  is  a  bold  fellow,  and,  as  you  know, 
cannot  have  a  good  will  to  missionary  settlements." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that,"  said  the  pastor,  in  answer  to 
the  last  remark.  "  It  is  well  known  that  wherever  a 
Christian  settlement  is  founded  in  these  islands,  that  place 
becomes  a  safe  port  for  vessels  of  all  sorts,  —  pirates  as 
well  as  others,  if  they  sail  under  false  colors  and  pretend 
to  be  honest  traders,  — while  in  all  the  other  islands,  it  is 
equally  well  known,  the  only  safety  one  can  count  on,  in 
landing,  is  superior  force.  But  I  am  grieved  to  hear  of 
your  affray  with  the  native.  I  hope  that  life  will  not  be 
sacrificed." 

"  No  fear  of  that ;  the  rascal  got  only  a  flesh-wound." 

Here  the  young  man  related  his  adventure  of  the  morn- 
ing, and  finished  by  asking  what  the  pastor  advised  should 
be  done  in  the  way  of  precaution. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  gravely,  "  that  our 
chief  difficulty  will  be  to  save  ourselves  from  our  friends  — " 

"  Would  friends  harm  us,  father  ?  "  asked  a  sweet,  soft 
voice  at  the  pastor's  elbow.  Next  moment  Alice  Mason 
was  seated  on  her  father's  knee,  gazing  up  in  his  face  with 
an  expression  of  undisguised  amazement. 

Alice  was  a  fair,  delicate,  gentle  child.  Twelve  sum- 
mers and  winters  had  passed  over  her  little  head  without 
a  cloud  to  obscure  the  sunshine  of  her  life  save  one  ;  but 
that  one  was  a  terribly  dark  one,  and  its  shadow  lingered 
over  her  for  many  years.  When  Alice  loit  her  niuiher, 
she  lost  the  joy  and  delight  of  her  existence  ,  and  nlt'l  ough 
six  yeais  had  pa^^cd  since    that  awful  day,  and    a  fond 


52  GASCOYNE, 

Christian  father  had  done  his  best  to  iraprft^s  on  her  young 
mind  that  the  beloved  one  was  not  lost  forever,  but  would 
one  day  be  found  sitting  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  in  a  bright 
and  beautiful  world,  the  poor  child  could  not  recover  her 
former  elasticity  of  spirits.  Doubtless  her  isolated  posi- 
tion, and  the  want  of  suitable  companions,  had  something 
to  do  with  the  prolonged  sadness  of  her  little  heart. 

It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  say  that  her  love  for  her 
father  was  boundless.  This  vv^as  natural,  but  it  did  not 
seem  by  any  means  so  natural  that  the  delicate  child  should 
give  the  next  place  in  her  heart  to  a  wild  little  boy,  a 
black  girl,  and  a  ragged  little  dog  !  Yet  so  it  was,  and  it 
would  have  been  difficult  for  the  closest  obsei-ver  to  tell 
which  of  these  three  Alice  liked  best. 

No  one  could  so  frequently  draw  forth  the  merry  laugh 
that  in  former  days  had  rung  so  sweetly  over  the  hillsides 
of  the  verdant  isle  as  our  young  friend  "Will  Corrie. 
Nothing  could  delight  the  heart  of  the  child  so  much  as  to 
witness  the  mad  gambols,  not  to  mention  the  mischievous 
deeds,  of  that  ragged  little  piece  of  an  old  door-mat,  which, 
in  virtue  of  its  being  possessed  of  animal  life,  was  named 
Toozle,  And  when  Alice  wished  to  talk  quietly,  —  to 
pour  out  her  heart,  and  sometimes  her  tears,  —  the  bosom 
she  sought  on  which  to  lay  her  head,  next  to  her  father's, 
wa.i  that  of  her  useful  nurserymaid,  a  good,  kind,  and  gen- 
tle, but  an  awfully  stupid  native  girl,  named  Kekupoopi. 

This  name  was,  of  course,  reduced  in  its  fair  propor- 
tions by  little  Alice,  who,  however,  retained  the  latter  part 
thereof  in  preference  to  the  former,  and  styled  her  maid 
Poopy.  Young  Master  Corrie,  on  the  other  hand,  called 
lier  Kickup  or  Puppy,  indifferently,  according  to  the  humor 
he  chanced  to  be  in  when  he  met  her,  or  to  the  word  that 
rose  most  readily  to  his  lips. 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.  53 

Mr  Mason  replied  to  the  question  put  bj  Alice,  at  the 
beginning  of  this  somewhat  lengthy  digression,  "  No,  my 
lamb,  friends  would  not  willingly  do  us  harm  ;  but  there 
are  those  who  call  themselves  friends  who  do  not  deserve 
the  name,  who  pretend  to  be  such,  but  who  are  in  reality 
secret  enemies.  But  go,  dearest,  to  your  room ;  I  am 
busy  just  now  talking  with  Henry  :  he,  at  least,  is  a  trusty 
friend.     When  I  have  done,  you  shall  come  back  to  me." 

Alice  kissed  her  father,  and,  getting  off  his  knee,  went 
at  once  in  search  of  her  friend  Poopy. 

That  dark-skinned  and  curly  black-headed  domestic  was 
in  the  kitchen,  seated  on  the  bottom  of  an  overturned  irou 
pot,  inside  the  dingy  niche  in  which  the  domestic  fire  W3i,6 
wont  to  burn  when  anything  of  a  culinary  nature  was  go- 
ing on.  At  the  time  when  her  mistress  entered,  nothing 
of  the  kind  was  in  progress,  and  the  fire  had  subsided  to 
extinction. 

The  girl,  who  might  have  been  any  age  between  twelve 
and  sixteen,  —  nearer  the  latter,  perhaps,  than  the  former, 
—  was  gazing  with  expressionless  eyes  straight  before  her, 
and  thinking,  evidently,  of —  nothing.  She  was  clothed  in 
a  white  tunic,  from  which  her  black  legs,  arms,  neck,  and 
head  protruded  —  forming  a  startling  contrast  therewith. 

"  O  Poopy !  what  a  bad  girl  you  are ! "  cried  Alice, 
laughing,  as  she  observed  where  her  maid  was  seated. 

Poopy's  visage  at  once  beamed  with  a  look  of  good- 
humor,  a  wide  gash  ruddenly  appeared  somewhere  near 
her  chin,  dis]3laying  a  double  row  of  brilliant  teeth  sur- 
rounded by  red  gums  ;  at  the  same  time  the  whites  of  her 
eyes  disappeared,  because,  being  very  plump,  it  was  a 
physical  impossibility  that  she  should  laugh  and  keep  them 
uncovered. 

"  Hee  !  hee  !  "  exclaimed  Poopy. 


54  GASCOYNE, 

Wc  are  really  sorry  to  give  the  reader  a  false  impr<is* 
eion,  as  we  feel  that  we  have  done,  of  our  friend  Keku- 
poopi,  but  a  regard  for  truth  compels  us  to  show  the  worst 
of  her  character  first.  She  was  not  demonstrative ;  and 
the  few  words  and  signs  by  which  she  endeavored  to  com- 
municate the  state  of  her  feelings  to  the  outward  world 
were  not  easily  interpreted  except  by  those  who  knew  her 
well.  There  is  no  doubt  whatever  that  Poopy  was  —  we 
scarcely  like  to  use  the  expression,  but  we  know  of  no 
other  more  appropriate  —  a  donkey !  We  hasten  to  guard 
ourselves  from  misconstruction  here.  That  word,  if  used 
in  an  ill-natured  and  passionate  manner,  is  a  bad  one,  and 
by  no  means  to  be  countenanced;  but,  as  surgeons  may 
cut  off  legs  at  times,  without  thereby  sanctioning  the  in- 
discriminate practice  of  amputation  in  a  miscellaneous 
sort  of  way  as  a  pastime,  so  this  otherwise  objectionable 
word  may,  we  think,  be  used  to  bring  out  a  certain  trait  of 
character  in  full  force.  Holding  this  opinion,  and  begging 
the  reader  to  observe  that  we  make  the  statement  gravely 
and  in  an  entirely  philosophical  way,  we  repeat  that 
Poopy  was,  figuratively  speaking,  a  donkey ! 

Yet  she  was  an  amiable,  affectionate,  good  girl  for  all 
that,  with  an  amount  of  love  in  her  heart  for  her  young 
mistress  wliich  words  cannot  convey,  and  which  it  is  no 
wonder,  therefore,  that  Poopy  herself  could  not  adequately 
express  either  by  word  or  look. 

"  It's  all  very  well  for  you  to  sit  there  and  say  *  Hee  ! 
bee  ! ' "  cried  Alice,  advancing  to  the  fireplace  ;  *'  but  you 
must  have  made  a  dreadful  mark  on  your  clean  white  frock. 
Get  up  and  turn  round." 

"  Hec !  hee ! "  exclaimed  the  girl,  as  she  obeyed  the 
mandate. 

The  "  Oh  !  oh  ! !  oh  ! !  !  "  that  burst  from  Alice,  on  ob- 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  55 

serving  the  pattern  of  the  pot  neatly  printed  oi  on  Poo- 
py's  garment,  was  so  emphatic  that  the  girl  became  im- 
pressed with  the  fact  that  she  had  done  something  wrong, 
and  twisted  her  head  and  neck  in  a  most  alarming  manner 
in  a  series  of  vain  attempts  to  behold  the  extent  of  the 
damage. 

"  W/iaf  a  figure  !  "  exclaimed  Alice,  on  recovering  from 
the  first  shock. 

"  It  vill  vash,"  said  Poopy,  in  a  deprecatory  tone. 

"  I  hope  it  will,"  replied  Alice,  shaking  her  head  doubt- 
fully ;  for  her  experience  in  the  laundry  had  not  yet  been 
so  extensive  as  to  enable  her  to  pronounce  at  once  on  the 
eradicability  of  such  a  frightfully  deep  impression.  While 
she  was  still  shaking  her  head  in  dubiety  on  this  point,  and 
while  Poopy  was  still  making  futile  attempts  to  obtain  a 
view  of  the  spot,  the  door  of  the  kitchen  opened,  and  Mas- 
ter Corrie  swaggered  in,  with  his  hands  thrust  into  the 
outer  pockets  of  his  jacket,  his  shirt  collar  thrown  very 
much  open,  and  his  round  straw  hat  placed  very  much  on 
the  back  of  his  head ;  for,  having  seen  some  of  the  crew 
of  the  Talisman,  he  had  been  smitten  with  a  strong  desire 
to  imitate  a  man-of-war's-man  in  aspect  and  gait. 

At  his  heels  came  that  scampering  mass  of  ragged  door- 
mat Toozle,  who,  feeling  that  a  sensation  of  some  kind  or 
other  was  being  got  up  for  his  amusement,  joined  heartily 
in  the  shout  of  delight  that  burst  from  the  youthful  Cor- 
rie when  he  beheld  the  extraordinary  figure  in  the  fire- 
place. 

"  Well,  T  say,  Kickup,"  cried  the  youth,  picking  up  his 
hat,  which  had  fallen  off' in  the  convulsion,  and  drying  his 
tears,  "  you're  a  sweet  lookin'  creetur,  you  are !  Is  this  a 
new  frock  you've  got  tc  go  to  church  with  ?  Come,  I 
rather  like  that  pattern ;  but  there's  not  quite  enough  of 


56  GASCOYNE, 

'em.  Suppose  I  lend  a  hand  and  print  a  few  more  all 
over  you  ?  There's  plenty  of  pots  and  pans  here  to  do  it ; 
and  if  Alice  will  bring  down  her  white  frock  I'll  give  it  a 
touch  up  too." 

"  How  can  you  talk  such  nonsense,  Corrie !  "  said  Alice, 
laughing.  "  Down,  Toozle ;  silence,  sir.  Go,  my  dear 
Poop}-,  and  put  on  another  frock  ;  and  make  haste,  for  I've 
something  to  say  to  you." 

Thus  admonished,  the  girl  ran  to  a  small  apartment  that 
opened  off  the  kitchen,  and  speedily  reappeared  in  another 
tunic.  Meanwhile,  Corrie  had  seated  himself  on  the  floor, 
with  Toozle  between  his  knees  and  Alice  on  a  stool  at  his 
side.  Poopy,  in  a  fit  of  absence  of  mind,  was  about  to  re- 
sume her  seat  on  the  iron  pot,  when  a  simultaneous  shriek, 
bark,  and  roar  recalled  her  scattered  faculties,  produced  a 
"  hee  !  hee  !  "  varied  with  a  faint  "  ho !  "  and  induced  her 
to  sit  down  on  the  floor  beside  her  mistress. 

"  Now,  tell  me,  Poopy,"  said  Alice,  "  did  you  ever  hear 
of  friends  who  were  not  really  friends,  but  enemies  ?  " 

The  girl  stared  with  a  vacant  countenance  at  the  bright, 
intelligent  face  of  the  child,  and  shook  her  head  slowly. 

"  Why  don't  you  ask  me  ?  "  inquired  Corrie.  "  You 
might  as  well  ask  Toozle  as  that  potato  Kickup.  Eh? 
Puppy,  don't  you  confess  that  you  are  no  better  than  a 
vegetable  ?     Come,  now,  be  honest." 

"  Hee  I  hee  !  "  replied  Poopy. 

"  Humph  !  I  thought  so.  But  that's  an  odd  question  of 
yours,  Alice.     What  do  you  mean  by  it  ?  " 

"  I  mean  that  my  papa  thinks  there  are  friends  in  the 
settlement  who  are  enemies." 

"  Does  he,  though  ?  Now  that's  mysterious,"  said  the 
boy,  becominsc  suddenly  grave.  "  That  requires  to  be 
looked  to.  Come,  Alice,  tell  me  all  the  particulars.  Don't 
omit  anything,  — our  lives  may  depend  on  it." 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  57 

The  deeply  serious  manner  in  which  Corrie  said  this  so 
impressed  and  solemnized  the  child,  that  she  related,  word 
for  word,  the  brief  conversation  she  had  had  with  her 
father,  and  all  tha  she  had  heard  of  the  previous  con- 
verse between  him  and  Henry. 

When  she  had  concluded,  Master  Corrie  threw  a  still 
more  grave  and  profoundly  philosophical  expression  into 
his  chubby  face,  and  asked,  in  a  hollow  tone  of  voice, 
"  Your  father  didn't  say  anything  against  the  Grampus, 
did  he  ?  " 

"  The  what  ?  "  inquired  Alice. 

"The  Grampus,  —  the  man,  at  least,  whom  /call  the 
Grampus,  and  who  calls  hisself  Jo  Bumpus." 

"  I  did  not  hear  such  names  mentioned ;  but  Henry 
spoke  of  a  wounded  nigger." 

"  Ay,  they're  all  a  set  of  false  rascals  together,"  said 
Corrie. 

"Niggers  ob  dis  here  settlement  is  good  mans,  ebery 
von,"  said  Poopy,  promptly. 

"  Hallo  !  Kickup,  wot's  wrong  ?  I  never  heard  you  say 
60  much  at  one  time  since  I  came  to  this  place." 

"  Niggers  is  good  peepils,"  reiterated  the  girl. 

"  So  they  are.  Puppy,  and  you're  the  best  of  'em ;  but 
I  was  speakin'  of  the  fellers  on  the  other  side  of  the  island, 
—  d'ye  see  ?  " 

"  Hee !  hee  !  "  ejaculated  the  girl. 

"  Well,  but  what  makes  you  so  anxious  ? "  said  Alice, 
looking  earnestly  into  the  boy's  face. 

Corrie  laid  his  hand  on  her  head  and  stroked  her  fair 
hair  as  he  replied : 

"  This  is  a  serious  matter,  Alice ;  I  must  go  at  once  and 
see  your  father  about  it." 

He  lose  with  an  air  of  importance,  as  if  about  to  leave 
the  kitchen. 


58 


GASCOYNE; 


"  Oh  !  but  please  don't  go  till  you  have  told  me  what  it 
is  ;  I'm  so  frightened,"  said  Alice  ;  "  do  stay  and  tell  me 
about  it  before  you  go  to  papa." 

"  Well,  I  don't  mind  if  I  do,''  said  the  boy,  sitting  down 
again.  "  You  must  know,  then,  that  it's  reported  there 
are  pirates  on  the  island." 

"  Oh ! "  exclaimed  Alice. 

"  D'ye  know  what  pirates  are.  Puppy  ?  " 

"  Hee  !  hee  I  "  answered  the  girl. 

"I  do  believe  she  don't  know  nothin',"  said  the  boy, 
looking  at  her  with  an  air  of  compassion  ;  "  wot  a  sad 
thing  it  is  to  belong  to  a  lower  species  of  human  natur' ! 
Well,  I  s'pose  it  can't  be  helped.  A  pirate,  Kickup,  is  a 
sea-robber.     D'ye  understand  ?  " 

«  Ho  !  ho ! " 

"  Ay,  I  thought  so.  Well,  Alice,  I  am  told  that  there's 
been  a  lot  o'  them  landed  on  the  island  and  took  to  chasin' 
and  killin'  the  niggers,  and  Henry  was  all  but  killed  by 
one  o'  the  niggers  this  very  morning,  an'  was  saved  by  a 
big  feller  that's  a  mystery  to  me,  and  by  the  Grampus,  who 
is  the  best  feller  I  ever  met,  —  a  regular  trump,  he  is  ;  and 
there's  all  sorts  o'  doubts,  and  fears,  and  rumors,  and  things 
of  that  sort,  with  a  captain  of  the  British  navy,  that  you 
and  I  have  read  so  much  about,  trying  to  find  this  pirate 
out,  and  suspectin'  everybody  he  meets  is  him.  I  only 
hope  he  wont  take  it  into  his  stupid  head  to  mistake  me 
for  him,  —  not  so  unlikely  a  thing,  after  all."  And  the 
youthful  Corrie  shook  his  head  with  much  gravity,  as  he 
surveyed  his  rotund  little  legs  coniplacontly. 

"What  are  you  laughing  at?"  he  added,  suddenly,  on 
observing  that  a  bright  smile  had  overspread  Alice's  face. 

"  At  tiie  i'Jea  of  you  being  taken  for  a  pirate,"  said  the 
child. 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.  59 

**  Ilee !  hee  !  ho  !  ho  ! "  remarked  Poopy. 

"  Silence,  jou  lump  of  black  putty  I "  thundered  the 
aspiring  youth. 

"  Come,  don't  be  cross  to  my  maid,"  said  Alice,  quickly. 

Corrie  laughed,  and  was  about  to  continue  his  discourse 
on  the  events  and  rumors  of  the  day,  when  Mr.  Mason's 
voice  was  heard  at  the  other  end  of  the  house. 

"Ho!  Corrie." 

"  That's  me,"  cried  the  boy,  promptly  springing  up  and 
rushing  out  of  the  room. 

"  Here,  my  boy  ;  I  thought  I  heard  your  voice.  I  want 
you  to  go  a  message  for  me.  Run  down,  like  a  good  lad, 
to  Ole  Thorwald,  and  tell  him  to  come  up  here  as  soon  as 
he  conveniently  can.  There  are  matters  to  consult  about 
which  will  not  brook  delay." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  ansv/ered  Corrie,  sailor  fashion,  as  he 
touched  his  forelock  and  bounded  from  the  room. 

"  Off  on  pressing  business,"  cried  the  sanguine  youth, 
as  he  dashed  through  the  kitchen,  frightening  Alice,  and 
throwing  Toozle  into  convulsions  of  delight,  —  "  horribly 
important  business,  that  ^  wont  brook  delay  ; '  but  what 
brook  means  is  more  than  I  can  guess." 

Before  the  sentence  was  finished,  Corrie  was  far  down 
the  hill,  leaping  over  every  obstacle  like  a  deer.  On  pass- 
ing through  a  small  field  he  observed  a  native  bending 
down,  as  if  picking  weeds,  with  his  back  towards  him. 
Going  softly  up  behind,  he  hit  the  semi-naked  savage  a 
sounding  slap,  and  exclaimed,  as  he  passed  on,  "  Hallo ! 
Jackolu  ;  important  business,  my  boy  —  hurrah !  " 

The  native  to  whom  this  rough  salutation  was  given, 
was  a  tall,  stalwart  young  fellow,  who  had  for  some  years 
been  one  of  the  best-behaved  and  most  active  members  of 
Frederick  Mason's  dark-skinned  congregation.     He  stood 


oO  GASCOYXE, 

erect  for  some  time,  with  a  broad  grin  on  his  swarthy  face 
and  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  as  he  gazed  after  the  y^ung  hope- 
ful, muttering  to  himself,  "  Ho  !  yes  —  bery  wicked  boy 
dat,  bery  ;  but  hims  capital  chap,  for  all  dat." 

A  few  minutes  later,  Master  Corrie  burst  in  upon  the 
sturdy  middle-aged  merchant,  named  Ole  Thorwald,  a 
Norwegian,  who  had  resided  much  in  England,  and  spoke 
the  English  language  well,  and  who  prided  himself  on 
being  entitled  to  claim  descent  from  the  old  Norwegian 
sea-kings.     This  man  was  uncle  and  protector  to  Corrie. 

"  Ho  !  Uncle  Ole  ;  here's  a  business.  Sich  a  to-do  — 
wounds,  blood,  and  murder  !  or  at  least  an  attempt  at  it ; 
—  the  whole  settlement  in  arms,  and  the  parson  sends  for 
you  to  take  command  !  " 

"  What  means  the  boy !  "  exclaimed  Ole  Thorwald,  who, 
in  virtue  of  his  having  once  been  a  private  in  a  regiment 
of  militia,  had  been  appointed  to  the  chief  command  of 
the  military  department  of  the  settlement.  This  consisted 
of  about  thirty  white  men,  armed  with  fourteen  fowling- 
pieces,  twenty  daggers,  fifteen  swords,  and  eight  cavalry 
pistols  ;  and  about  two  hundred  native  Christians,  who, 
when  the  assaults  of  their  unconverted  brethren  were 
made,  armed  themselves  —  as  they  were  wont  to  do  in 
days  gone  by  —  with  formidable  clubs,  stone  hatchets,  and 
spears.  "  "What  means  the  boy  !  "  exclaimed  Ole,  laying 
down  a  book  which  he  had  been  reading,  and  thrusting  his 
spectacles  up  on  his  broad  bald  forehead. 

"  Exactly  what  the  boy  says,"  replied  Master  Corrie. 

"  Tlien  add  something  more  to  it,  pray." 

Thorwald  said  this  in  a  mild  tone  ;  but  he  suddenly 
seized  the  handle  of  an  old  pewter  mug  which  the  lad 
knew,  from  experience,  would  certainly  reach  his  head 
before  he  could  gain  the  door  if  he  did  not  behave  ;  ^o  he 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  61 

became  polite,  and  condescended  to  explain  his  errand 
more  fully. 

"  So,  so,"  observed  the  descendant  of  the  sea-kings,  as 
he  rose  and  slowly  buckled  on  a  huge  old  cavalry  sabre; 
"there  is  double  mischief  brewing  this  time.  Well,  we 
shall  see  —  we  shall  see.  Go,  Corrie,  my  boy,  and  rouse 
up  Terrence  and  Hugh,  and  —  " 

"  The  whole  army,  in  short,"  cried  the  boy,  hastily ; 
"  you're  so  awfully  slow,  uncle,  you  should  have  been  bom 
in  the  last  century,  I  think." 

Further  remark  was  cut  short  by  the  sudden  discharge 
of  the  pewter  mug,  which,  however,  fell  harmlessly  on  the 
panel  of  the  closing  door  as  the  impertinent  Coixie  sped 
forth  to  call  the  settlement  to  arms. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SUSPICIONS  ALLAYED   ASH   REAWAKBITED. 

Gas  COYNE,  followed  by  his  man  Jo  Bumpus,  sped  over 
the  rugged  mouiitams,  and  descended  the  slopes  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  island  soon  after  nightfall,  and  long 
before  Captain  Montague,  in  his  large  and  well-manned 
boat,  could  pull  half  way  round  in  the  direction  of  the 
sequestered  bay  where  the  Foam  lay  quietly  at  anchor. 

There  was  not  a  breath  of  wind  to  rufHe  the  surface  of 
the  glassy  sea,  as  the  captain  of  the  sandal-wood  trader 
reached  the  shore  and  uttered  a  low  cry  like  the  hoot  of 
an  owl.  The  cry  was  instantly  replied  to,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  a  boat  crept  noiselessly  towards  the  shore,  seeming, 
in  the  uncertain  light,  more  like  a  shadow  than  a  reality. 
It  was  rowed  by  a  single  man.  When  within  a  few  yai'ds 
of  the  shore,  the  oars  ceased  to  move,  and  the  deep  still- 
ness of  the  night  was  scarcely  broken  l)y  the  low  voice  of 
surly  Dick,  demanding,  "  Who  goes  there  ?  " 

"  All  right,  pull  in,"  replied  Gascoyne,  whose  deep  bass 
voice  sounded  sepulchral  in  the  almost  unearthly  stillness. 
It  was  one  of  those  dark,  oppressively  quiet  nights  which 
make  one  feel  a  powerful  sensation  of  loneliness,  and  a 
peculiar  disinclination,  by  word  or  act,  to  disturb  the  pre- 
vailing quiesence  of  nature,  —  such  a  night  as  suggests  the 
idea  of  a  coming  storm  to  those  who  are  at  sea,  or  of  im- 
pending evil  to  tiuise  on  land. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  68 

"  Is  the  mate  aboard  ?  "  inquired  Gascoyne. 

«  He  is,  sir." 

"  Are  any  of  the  hands  on  shore  ?  " 

"  More  than  half  of  'em,  sir." 

Nothing  more  was  said ;  and  in  a  few  minuf  es  Gascoyne 
was  slowly  pacing  the  quarter-deck  of  his  little  vessel  in 
earnest  consultation  with  his  first  mate.  There  seemed  to 
be  some  difference  of  opinion  between  the  captain  and  his 
officer ;  for  their  words,  which  at  first  were  low,  at  length 
became  audible. 

"  I  tell  you,  Manton,  it  wont  do,"  said  Gascoyne,  sternly. 

"  I  can  only  suggest  what  I  beheve  to  be  for  the  good 
of  the  ship,"  replied  the  other,  coldly.  "  Even  if  you 
succeed  in  your  attempt,  you  will  be  certain  to  lose  some 
of  our  hands  ;  for  although  the  best  of  them  are  on  shore, 
the  commander  of  the  Talisman  will  think  those  that  re- 
main  too  numerous  for  a  sandal-wood  trader,  and  you  are 
aware  that  we  are  sufficiently  short-handed  in  such  danger- 
ous seas." 

The  latter  part  of  this  speech  was  uttered  in  a  slightly 
sarcastic  tone. 

"  What  would  you  have  me  do,  then  ?  "  demanded  Gas- 
coyne, whose  usual  decision  of  character  seemed  to  have 
deserted  him  under  the  influence  of  conflicting  feelings, 
which  the  first  mate  could  plainly  perceive  agitated  the 
breast  of  his  commander,  but  which  he  could  by  no  means 
account  for.  Certainly  he  had  no  sympathy  with  them, 
for  Manton's  was  a  hard,  stern  nature  ■= —  not  given  to  the 
melting  mood. 

"Do?"  exclaimed  the  mate,  vehemently,  "I  would 
mount  the  red,  and  get  out  the  sweeps.  An  hour's  pull 
will  place  the  schooner  on  the  other  side  of  the  reef.  A 
shot  from  Long  Tom  will  sink  the.  best  boat  in  the  service 


64  GASCOTl^, 

of  his  Britannic  Majesty,  and  we  could  be  off  and  a^vay 
with  the  land  breeze  before  morning." 

"  What !  sink  a  man-of-war's  boat !  "  exclaimed  Gas- 
coyne  ;  "  why.  that  would  make  them  set  us  down  as  pirates 
at  once,  and  we  should  have  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  half 
the  British  navy  before  this  time  next  year." 

Manton  received  this  remai-k  with  a  loud  laugh,  which 
harshly  disturbed  the  silence  of  the  night. 

"  That  is  true,"  said  he ;  "  yet  I  scarcely  expected  to  see 
Captain  Gascoyne  show  the  white  feather." 

"  Possibly  not,"  retorted  the  other,  grimly ;  "  yet  me- 
thinks  that  he  who  counsels  flight  shows  more  of  the 
white  feather  than  he  who  would  shove  his  head  into  the 
very  jaws  of  the  lion.  It  wont  do,  Manton  ;  I  have  my 
own  reasons  for  remaining  here.  The  white  lady  must  in 
the  meantime  smile  on  the  British  commander.  Besides, 
it  would  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  do  all  this  and 
get  our  fellows  on  board  again  before  morning.  The  land 
breeze  will  serve  to  fill  the  sails  of  the  Tahsman  just  as 
well  as  those  of  the  Foam  ;  and  they're  sure  to  trip  their 
anchor  to-night ;  for,  you'll  scarcely  believe  it,  this  mad 
Lttle  fellow  Montague  actually  suspects  me  to  be  the 
pirate  Durward ! " 

Again  the  harsh  laugh  of  Manton  disturbed  the  peace- 
ful calm,  and  this  time  he  was  joined  by  Gascoyne,  who 
seemed  at  length  to  have  overcome  the  objections  of  his 
mate  ;  for  their  tones  again  sank  into  inaudible  whispers. 

Shortly  after  this  conversation  the  moon  broke  out  from 
behind  a  bank  of  clouds,  and  shone  brightly  down  on  land 
and  sea,  throwing  into  bold  relief  the  precipices,  pinnacles, 
and  gorges  of  the  one,  and  covering  the  other  with  rippling 
streaks  of  silver.  About  the  same  time  the  oai'S  of  the 
maD'Of  war's  bout  were  heard,  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.  65 

Captain  Montague  ascended  the  side  of  the  Foam,  where, 
to  his  great  surprise,  he  was  politely  received  by  Gas- 
coyne. 

"  Captain  Gascojme  has  reason  to  be  proud  of  his  pe- 
destrian powers,"  said  the  young  commander ;  "  he  must 
have  liad  urgent  reason  for  making  such  good  use  of  his 
legs  since  we  last  met." 

"  To  do  the  honors  of  his  own  ship,  when  he  expecr^  a 
visit  from  a  British  officer,  is  surely  sufficient  reason  to  in- 
duce a  poor  skipper  to  take  an  extra  walk  of  a  fine  eve- 
ning," replied  Gascoyne,  blandly.  "  Besides,  I  know  that 
men-of-war  are  apt  to  take  a  fancy  to  the  crews  of  mer- 
chantmen sometimes,  and  I  thought  my  presence  might  be 
necessary  here  to-night." 

"  How  ?  "  exclaimed  Montague,  quickly.  "  Do  you 
fancy  that  your  single  arm,  stout  though  it  be,  could  avail 
to  prevent  this  evil  that  you  dread  if  I  think  proper  to  act 
according  to  established  usage  in  time  of  war  ?  " 

"  Nay,  that  were  extreme  vanity  indeed,"  returned  the 
other ;  "  but  I  would  fain  hope  that  the  explanations  which 
I  can  give  of  the  danger  of  our  peculiar  trade,  and  the 
necessity  we  have  for  a  strong  crew,  will  induce  Captain 
Montague  to  forego  his  undoubted  privilege  and  right  on 
this  occasion." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that,"  replied  Montague ;  "  it  wiH 
depend  much  on  your  explanations  being  satisfactory. 
How  many  men  have  you  ?  " 

"  TAventy-two." 

"  So  many  !  That  is  much  more  than  enough  to  work  eo 
small  a  vessel." 

"  But  not  more  than  enough  to  defend  my  vessel  from  a 
Bwarm  of  bloody  savages-" 

"  Perhaps  not,  returned  Montague,  on  whom  the  urban- 
5 


66  GASCOYJTE, 

itj  and  candor  of  the  captain  of  the  Foam  were  beginning 
to  have  a  softening  influence.  "  You  have  no  objection  to 
let  me  see  your  papers,  and  examine  your  ship,  I  sup- 
pose." 

"  None  in  the  world,"  replied  Gascoyne,  smiling ;  "  and 
if  I  had,  it  would  make  little  difference,  I  should  imagine, 
to  one  who  is  so  well  able  to  insist  on  having  his  will 
obeyed."  (He  glanced  at  the  boat  full  of  armed  men  as 
he  spoke.)     "  Pray,  come  below  with  me." 

In  the  examination  that  ensued.  Captain  Montague  was 
exceedingly  strict,  although  the  strength  of  his  first  sus- 
picions had  been  somewhat  abated  by  the  truthful  tone  and 
aspect  of  Gascoyne,  and  the  apparent  reasonableness  of 
all  he  said ;  but  he  failed  to  detect  anything  in  the  papers, 
or  in  the  general  arrangements  of  the  Foam,  that  could 
warrant  his  treating  her  otherwise  than  as  an  honest 
trader. 

"  So,"  said  he,  on  returning  to  the  deck ;  "  this  is  the 
counterpart  of  the  noted  pirate,  is  it  ?  You  must  pardon 
my  having  suspected  you,  sir,  of  being  this  same  Dur- 
ward,  sailing  under  false  colors.  Come,  let  me  see  the 
points  of  difference  between  you,  else  if  we  happen  to  meet 
on  the  high  seas  I  may  chance  to  make  an  unfortunate 
hole  in  your  timbers." 

"  The  sides  of  my  schooner  are  altogether  black,  as  you 
see,"  returned  Gascoyne.  "  I  have  already  explained  that 
a  narrow  streak  of  red  distinguishes  the  pirate ;  and  this 
fair  lady  "  (leading  Montague  to  the  bow)  "  guides  the 
Foam  over  the  waves  with  smiling  countenance,  while  a 
scarlet  griffui  is  the  more  appropriate  figurehead  of  Dur- 
ward's  vessel." 

"  As  he  Fpoke,  the  low  boom  of  a  far  distant  gun  was 
heard.     Montague  started,  and  glanced  inquiringly  in  the 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.  67 

face  of  his  companion,  whose  looks  expressed  a  slight  de- 
gree of  surprise. 

"  What  was  that,  think  you  ?  "  said  Montague,  after  a 
momentary  pause. 

"  The  commander  of  the  Talisman  ought,  I  think,  to  be 
the  best  judge  of  the  sound  of  his  own  guns." 

"  True,"  returned  the  young  officer,  somewhat  discon- 
certed ;  "  but  you  forget  that  I  am  not  familiar  with  the 
eruptions  of  those  volcanic  mountains  of  yours ;  and,  at  so 
great  a  distance  from  my  ship,  with  such  hills  of  rock  and 
lava  between  us,  I  may  well  be  excused  feeling  a  little 
doubt  as  to  the  bark  of  my  own  bull-dogs.  But  that  sig- 
nal betokens  something  unusual.  I  must  shorten  my  visit 
to  you,  I  fear." 

"  Pray  do  not  mention  it,"  said  Gascoyne,  with  a  pecu- 
liar smile ;  "  under  the  circumstances  I  am  bound  to  ex- 
cuse you." 

"  But,"  continued  Montague,  with  emphasis,  I  should  be 
sorry  indeed  to  part  without  some  memorial  of  my  visit. 
Be  so  good  as  to  order  your  men  to  come  aft. 

"  By  all  means,"  said  Gascoyne,  giving  the  requisite 
order  promptly ;  for,  having  sent  all  his  best  men  on  shore, 
he  did  not  much  mind  the  loss  of  a  few  of  those  remaining. 

When  they  were  mustered,  the  British  commander  in- 
spected them  carefully,  and  then  he  singled  out  surly 
Dick,  and  ordered  him  into  the  boat.  A  slight  frown 
rested  for  a  moment  on  Gascoyne's  countenance,  as  he 
observed  the  look  of  ill-concealed  triumph  with  which  the 
man  obeyed  the  order.  The  expression  of  surly  Dick, 
however,  was  instantly  exchanged  for  one  of  dismay  as 
his  captain  strode  up  to  him,  and  looked  in  his  face  for  one 
moment  with  a  piercing  glance,  at  the  same  time  thrusting 
his  left  hand  into  the  breast  of  ids  red  shirt. 


68  GASCOYNE, 

"  Goodby,"  he  sakl,  suddenly,  in  a  cheerful  tone,  es* 
tending  his  right  hand  and  grasping  that  of  the  sailor. 
"  Goodby,  lad :  if  you  serve  the  king  as  well  as  you  have 
served  me,  he'll  have  reason  to  be  proud  of  you." 

Gascoyne  turned  on  his  heel,  and  the  man  slunk  into 
the  boat  with  an  aspect  very  unlike  that  of  a  bold  British 
seaman. 

"  Here  is  another  man  I  want,"  said  Montague,  laying 
his  hand  on  the  shoulder  of  John  Bumpus. 

"  I  trust,  sir,  that  you  will  not  take  that  man,"  said  Gas- 
coyne, earnestly.  "  I  cannot  afford  to  lose  him ;  I  would 
rather  you  should  take  any  three  of  the  others." 

"  Your  liberality  leads  me  to  think  that  you  could  with- 
out much  diiiiculty  supply  the  place  of  the  men  I  take : 
but  three  are  too  many.  I  shall  be  satisfied  with  this  one. 
Go  into  the  boat,  my  lad." 

Poor  John  Bumpus,  whose  heart  had  been  captivated 
by  the  beauties  of  the  island,  obeyed  the  order  with  a  rue- 
ful countenance  ;  and  Gascoyne  bit  his  lip  and  turned 
aside  to  conceal  his  anger.  In  two  minutes  more  the  boat 
was  rowed  away  from  the  schooner's  side. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken  by  any  one  in  the  boat  until  a 
mile  had  separated  it  from  the  schooner.  They  had  just 
turned  a  point  which  shut  the  vessel  out  of  view,  when 
surly  Dick  suddcily  recovered  his  self-possession  and  his 
tongue,  and,  starting  up  in  an  excited  manner,  exclaimed 
to  Montague :  "  The  schooner  you  have  just  left,  sir,  is  a 
pirate.     I  tell  the  truth,  though  I  should  swing  for  it." 

The  crew  jf  the  boat  ceased  rowing,  and  glanced  at 
each  other  in  surprise  on  hearing  this. 

"  Ha  1  Sly  you  so?"  exclaimed  Montague,  quickly. 

"  It's  a  fact,  sir.  Ask  my  comrade  there,  and  he'll  tell 
you  thf,  same  thing." 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  69 

"  He'll  do  nothin'  o'  the  sort,"  sharply  returned  honest 
Buinpus,  who,  having  been  only  a  short  time  previously 
engaged  by  Gascoyne,  could  perceive  neither  pleasure  nor 
justice  in  the  idea  of  being  hanged  for  a  pirate,  and  who 
attributed  Dick's  speech  to  an  ill-natured  desire  to  get  his 
late  commander  into  trouble. 

"  Which  of  you  am  1  to  believe  ?  "  said  Montague,  hast- 
ily. 

"  Wichever  you  please,"  observed  Bumpus,  with  an  air 
of  indifference. 

"  It's  no  business  o'  mine,"  said  Dick,  sulkily ;  "  if  you 
choose  to  let  the  blackguard  escape,  that's  your  own  look- 
out." 

"  Silence,  you  scoundrel ! "  cried  Montague,  who  was  as 
much  nettled  by  a  feeling  of  uncertainty  how  to  act  as  by 
the  impertinence  of  the  man. 

Before  he  could  decide  as  to  the  course  he  ought  to  pur- 
sue, the  report  of  one  of  the  guns  of  his  own  vessel 
boomed  loud  and  distinct  in  the  distance.  It  was  almost 
immediately  followed  by  another. 

"  Ha !  that  settles  the  question  ;  give  way,  my  lads,  give 
way." 

In  another  moment  the  boat  was  cleaving  her  way 
swiftly  tlu'ough  the  dark  water  in  the  direction  of  the  Tal« 
isman. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MA8TEB  CORRIE   CAUGHT  NAPPING  —  SNAKES   IN  THE   GKA88. 

The  Sabbath  morning  which  succeeded  the  events  we 
have  just  narrated  dawned  on  the  settlement  of  Sandy 
Cove  in  unclouded  splendor,  and  the  deep  repose  of  nature 
was  still  unbroken  by  the  angry  passions  and  the  violent 
strife  of  man ;  although  from  the  active  preparations  of  the 
previous  night  it  might  have  been  expected  that  those  who 
dwelt  on  the  island  would  not  have  an  opportunity  of  en- 
joying the  rest  of  that  day. 

Everything  in  and  about  the  settlement  was  eminently 
suggestive  of  peace.  The  cattle  lay  sleepily  in  the  shade 
of  the  trees ;  the  sea  was  still  calm  like  glass.  Men  had 
ceased  from  their  daily  toil;  and  the  only  sounds  that 
broke  the  quiet  of  the  morning  were  the  chattering  of  the 
parrots  and  other  birds  in  the  cocoanut  groves,  and  the 
cries  of  sea-fowl,  as  they  circled  in  the  air,  or  dropped  on 
the  surface  of  the  sea  in  quest  of  fish. 

The  British  frigate  lay  at  anchor  in  the  same  place 
which  she  had  hitherto  occupied,  and  the  Foam  still  floated 
in  the  sequestered  bay  on  the  other  side  of  the  island.  In 
neither  vessel  "was  there  the  slightest  symptom  of  prepa- 
ration ;  and  to  one  who  knew  not  the  true  state  of  matters, 
the  idea  of  war  being  about  to  break  forth  was  the  last 
that  would  have  occurred. 

But  this  deceitful  quiet  was  only  the  calm  that  precedes 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER  71 

the  storm.  On  every  hand  men  were  busily  engaged  in 
making  preparations  to  break  that  Sabbath  day  in  the 
most  frightful  manner,  or  were  calmly,  but  resolutely, 
awaiting  attack.  On  board  the  ship-of-war,  indeed,  there 
was  little  doing ;  for,  her  business  being  to  figbt,  she  was 
always  in  a  state  of  readiness  for  action.  Her  signal  guns, 
fired  the  previous  night,  had  recalled  Montague  to  tell  him 
of  the  threatened  attack  by  the  savages.  A  few  brief 
orders  v/ere  given,  and  they  were  prepared  for  whatever 
might  occur.  In  the  village,  too,  the  arrangements  to 
repel  attack  having  been  made,  Avhite  men  and  native  con- 
verts alike  rested  with  their  arms  placed  in  convenient 
proximity  to  their  hands. 

In  a  wild  and  densely-wooded  part  of  the  island,  far  re- 
moved from  those  portions  which  we  have  yet  had  occasion 
to  describe,  a  band  of  fiendish-looking  men  were  making 
arrangements  for  one  of  those  unprovoked  assaults  which 
savages  are  so  prone  to  make  on  those  who  settle  near 
them. 

They  were  all  of  them  in  a  state  of  almost  complete 
nudity ;  but  the  complicated  tattooing  on  their  dark  skins 
gave  them  the  appearance  of  being  more  clothed  than 
they  really  were.  Their  arms  consisted  chiefly  of  enor- 
mous clubs  of  hard  wood,  spears,  and  bows ;  and,  in  order 
to  facilitate  their  escape  should  they  chance  to  be  grasped 
in  a  hand-to-hand  conflict,  they  had  covered  their  bodies 
with  oil,  which  glistened  in  the  sunshine  as  they  moved 
about  their  village. 

Conspicuous  among  these  truly  savage  warriors  was  the 
form  of  Keona,  with  his  right  arm  bound  up  in  a  sort  of 
sling.  Pain  and  disappointed  revenge  had  rendered  this 
man's  face  more  than  usually  diabolical  as  he  went  about 
among  his  fellows,  inciting  them  to  revenge  the  insult  anc^ 


72  GASCOTXE, 

injury  done  to  tliem  through  his  person  by  the  whites. 
There  was  some  reluctance,  however,  on  the  part  of  a  few 
of  the  chiefs  to  renew  a  war  that  had  been  terminated,  or 
rather  been  slumbering,  only  for  a  few  months. 

Keona's  influence,  too,  was  not  great  among  his  kindred, 
and  had  it  not  been  that  one  or  two  influential  chiefs  sided 
with  him,  his  own  efforts  to  relight  the  still  smoking  torch 
of  war  would  have  been  unavailing. 

As  it  wa?,  the  natives  soon  worked  themselves  up  into 
a  sufficiently  excited  state  to  engage  in  any  desperate  ex- 
pedition. It  was  while  all  this  was  doing  in  the  native 
camp,  that  Keona,  having  gone  to  the  nearest  mountain- 
top  to  observe  what  was  going  on  in  the  settlement,  had 
fallen  in  with  and  been  chased  by  some  of  those  men  be- 
longing to  the  Foam,  who  had  been  sent  on  shore  to  escape 
being  pressed  into  the  service  of  the  King  of  England. 

The  solitaiy  exception  to  this  general  state  of  prepara- 
tion for  wai'  was  the  household  of  Frederick  Mason.  Hav- 
ing taken  such  precautionary  steps  the  night  before  as  he 
deemed  expedient,  and  having  consulted  with  Ole  Thor- 
wald,  the  general  commanding,  who  had  posted  scouts  in 
all  the  mountain  passes,  and  had  seen  the  wai'-canoes 
drawn  up  in  a  row  on  the  strand,  the  pastor  retired  to  his 
study,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  night  in  preparing 
to  preach  the  gospel  of  peace  on  the  morrow,  and  in  com- 
mitting the  care  of  his  flock  and  his  household  to  Him  who 
is  the  "  God  of  battles  "  as  well  as  the  "  Prince  of  peace." 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  Mr.  jMason  contemplated 
the  probable  renewal  of  hostilities  witliout  great  anxiety. 
For  himself,  we  need  scarcely  say,  he  had  no  fears ;  but 
bis  heart  sank  when  he  thought  of  his  gentle  Alice  falling 
into  the  hands  of  savages.  As  the  night  passed  away 
vpithout  any  alarms,  his  anxiety   began    to    subside,  and 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  73 

when  Sunday  morning  dawned,  he  lay  down  on  a  couch  to 
snatch  a  few  hours'  repose  before  the  labors  of  the  day. 

The  first  object  that  greeted  the  pastor's  eyes  on  awak- 
ing in  tlie  morning  was  a  black  visage,  and  a  pair  of 
glittering  eyes  gazing  at  him  through  the  half-open  door 
with  an  expression  of  the  utmost  astonishment. 

He  leaped  up  with  lightning  speed  and  darted  towards 
the  intruder,  but  checked  himself  suddenly,  and  smiled, 
as  poor  Poopy  uttered  a  scream,  and,  falling  on  her  knees, 
implored  for  mercy. 

"  My  poor  girl,  I  fear  I  have  frightened  you  by  my  vio- 
lence," said  he,  sitting  down  on  his  couch  and  yawning 
sleepily ;  "  but  I  was  dreaming,  Poopy ;  and  when  I  saw 
your  black  face  peeping  at  me,  I  took  you  at  first  for  one 
of  the  wild  fellows  on  the  other  side  of  the  mountains. 
You  have  come  to  sweep  and  arrange  my  study,  I  sup- 
pose." 

"  Why,  mass'r,  you  no  hab  go  to  bed  yet,"  said  Poopy, 
still  feeling  and  expressing  surprise  at  her  master's  un- 
wonted irregulai'ity.     "  Is  you  ill  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,  my  good  girl ;  only  a  little  tired.  It  is  not 
a  time  for  me  to  take  much  rest  when  the  savages  are  said 
to  be  about  to  attack  us." 

"  When  is  they  coming  ?  "  inquired  the  girl,  meekly. 

The  pastor  smiled  as  he  replied,  "  That  is  best  known 
to  themselves,  Poopy.  Do  you  think  it  likely  that  mur- 
derers or  thieves  would  send  to  let  us  know  when  they 
were  coming." 

"  Hee  !  hee  ! "  laughed  Poopy,  with  an  immense  display 
of  teeth  and  gums. 

"  Is  Alice  awake  ? "  inquired  Mr.  Mason. 

"  No ;  her  be  sound  'sleep  wid  her  two  eye  shut  tight  up, 
dis  fashion,  and  her  mout'  wide  open  —  so." 


74  GASCOYNE, 

The  representation  of  Alice's  condition,  as  given  by  her 
maid,  although  hideously  unlike  the  beautiful  object  they 
were  meant  to  call  up  to  her  father's  mind,  were  suflGiciently 
expressive  and  comprehensible. 

"  Go  wake  her,  my  girl,  and  let  us  have  breakfist  as 
soon  as  you  can.  Has  Will  Corrie  been  here  this  morn- 
ing?" 

"  Hims  bin  here  all  night,"  replied  the  girl,  with  a 
broad  grin  (and  the  breadth  of  Poopy's  broad  grin  was 
almost  appalling). 

"What  mean  you,  —  has  he  slept  in  this  house  all 
night?" 

"  Yes  —  eh  !  no,"  said  Poopy. 

"  Yes,  no  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Mason.  "  Come,  Poopy, 
don't  be  stupid,  explain  yourself." 

"  Hee !  hee !  hee !  yes,  ho  !  ho  I  ho  I "  laughed  Poopy, 
as  if  the  idea  of  explaining  herself  was  about  the  richest 
joke  she  had  listened  to  since  she  was  born.  "  Hee !  hee ! 
me  no  can  'xplain  ;  but  you  com  here  an'  see." 

So  saying,  she  conducted  her  wondering  master  to  the 
front  door  of  the  cottage,  where,  across  the  threshold,  di- 
rectly under  the  porch,  lay  the  form  of  the  redoubted  Cor- 
rie, fast  asleep,  and  armed  to  the  teeth ! 

In  order  to  explain  the  cause  of  this  remarkable  ap- 
parition, we  think  it  justifiable  to  state  to  the  reader,  in 
confidence,  that  young  Master  Corrie  was  deeply  in  love 
with  the  fair  Alice.  With  all  his  reckless  drollery  of  dis- 
position, the  boy  was  intensely  romantic  and  enthusiastic ; 
and,  feeling  that  the  unsettled  condition  of  the  times  en- 
dangered the  welfare  of  his  lady-love,  he  resolved,  like  a 
true  knight,  to  arm  himself  and  guard  the  threshold  of 
her  door  with  his  own  body. 

In  the  deep  silence  of  the  night  he  buckle il  on  a  sabre, 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  75 

the  blade  of  which,  by  reason  of  its  having  been  broken, 
was  barelv  eight  inches  long,  and  the  hilt  wliereof  was 
battered  and  rusty.  He  also  stuck  a  huge  brass-mounted 
cavalry  pistol  in  his  belt,  in  the  virtue  of  which  he  had 
great  faith,  having  only  two  days  before  shot  with  it  a 
green-headed  parrot  at  a  distance  of  two  yards.  The  dis- 
tance was  not  great,  to  be  sure,  but  it  was  enough  for  his 
purpose  —  intending,  as  he  did,  to  meet  his  foe,  when  the 
moment  of  action  should  come,  in  close  conflict,  and  thrust 
the  muzzle  of  his  weapon  down  the  said  foe's  throat  before 
condescending  to  draw  the  trigger. 

Thus  prepared  for  the  worst,  he  sallied  out  on  tiptoe, 
intending  to  mount  guard  at  the  missionary's  door,  and 
return  to  his  own  proper  couch  before  the  break  of  day. 

But  alas  for  poor  Corrie's  powers  of  endurance !  No 
sooner  had  he  extended  his  chubby  form  on  the  door-mat, 
earnestly  wishing,  but  not  expecting,  that  Alice  would 
come  out  and  find  him  there,  than  he  fell  fast  asleep,  while 
engaged  in  the  hopeless  task  of  counting  the  starry  host— • 
a  duty  which  he  had  imposed  on  himself  in  the  hope  that  he 
might  thereby  be  kept  awake.  Once  asleep  he  slept  on, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  with  hi^  broad  little  chest  heaving 
gently;  his  round  little  visage  beaming  upwards  like  a 
terrestrial  moon  ;  his  left  arm  .under  his  head  in  lieu  of  a 
pillow  (by  consequence  of  which  it  was  fast  asleep  also), 
and  his  right  hand  grasping  the  hilt  of  the  broken  sabre. 

As  for  Corrie's  prostrate  body  affording  protection  to 
Alice,  the  entire  savage  population  might  have  stepped 
across  it,  one  by  one,  and  might  have  stepped  back  again, 
bearing  away  into  slavery  the  fair  maiden,  with  her  father 
and  all  the  household  furniture  to  boot,  without  in  the  least 
disturbing  the  deep  slumbers  of  the  youthful  knight.  At 
least  we  may  safely  come  to  this  conclusion  from  the  fact 


76  GASCON  NE, 

tliat  Mr.  Mason  shook  him,  first  gently  and  then  violently, 
for  full  five  minutes,  before  he  could  get  him  to  speak  ;  and 
even  then  he  only  gave  utterance,  in  very  sleepy  tones, 
and  half-formed  words,  to  the  remark  — 

"  Oh  !  don'  borer  me.     It  aint  b'kfust-f  m'  yet  ?  " 

"  Ho  !  Corrie,  Corrie,"  shouted  Mr.  Mason,  giving  the 
victim  a  shake  that  threatened  to  dislocate  his  neck,  "  get 
up,  my  boy  —  rouse  up  !  " 

"  Hallo  !  hy  !  murder !  Come  on  you  vill eh  !  Mr. 

Mason  —  I  beg  pardon,  sir,"  stammered  Corrie,  as  he  at 
length  became  aware  of  his  condition,  and  blushed  deeply ; 
"I  —  I  —  really,  Mr.  Mason,  I  merely  came  to  watch  while 
you  were  all  asleep,  as  there  are  savages  about,  you  know 
and  —  ha  !  ha  !  ha !  —  oh !  dear  me  ! "  (Corrie  exploded 
at  this  point,  unable  to  contain  himself  at  the  sight  of  the 
missionary's  gaze  of  astonishment.)  "  Wot  a  sight,  for  a 
Sunday  mornin'  too  !  " 

The  hilarity  of  the  boy  was  catching ;  for  at  this  point  a 
vociferous  "  hee  !  hee  "  burst  from  the  sable  Poopy  ;  the 
clear  laugh  of  Alice,  too,  came  ringing  through  the  pas- 
sage, and  Mr.  Mason  himself  finally  joined  in  the  chorus. 

"  Come,  sir  knight,"  exclaimed  the  latter,  on  recovering 
his  gravity,  "  this  is  no  guise  for  a  respectable  man  to  be 
seen  in  on  Sunday  morning  ;  come  in  and  lay  down  your 
arms.  You  have  done  very  well  as  a  soldier  for  this  oc- 
casion ;  let  us  see  if  you  can  do  your  duty  equally  well  as 
a  church-officer.     Have  you  the  keys  ?  " 

"  No ;  they  are  at  home." 

"  Then  run  and  get  them,  my  boy,  and  leave  your  pistol 
behind  you.  I  dare  say  the  savages  wont  attack  during 
the  daytime." 

Corrie  did  as  he  was  desired,  and  the  pastor  went,  after 
biejikfast,  to  spend  a  short  time  with  Alice  on  a  neighboring 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.  77 

eminence,  from  which  could  be  obtained  a  fine  view  of  the 
settlement  with  its  little  church,  and  the  calm  bay,  on  which 
floated  the  frigate,  sheltered  by  the  encircling  coral  reef 
from  the  swell  of  the  ocean. 

Here  it  was  Mr.  Mason's  wont  to  saunter  with  Alice 
every  Sunday  morning,  to  read  a  chapter  of  the  Bible 
to  her,  and  converse  about  that  happy  land  where  one 
so  dear  to  both  of  them  now  dwelt  with  their  Saviour. 
Here,  also,  the  child's  maid  was  sometimes  privileged  to 
join  them.  On  this  particular  morning,  however,  they 
were  not  the  only  spectators  of  the  beautiful  view  from 
that  hill;  for,  closely  hidden  in  the  bushes  — not  fifty  yards 
from  the  spot  where  they  sat  —  lay  a  band  of  armed  sav- 
ages who  had  escaped  the  vigilance  of  the  scouts,  and  had 
come  by  an  unguarded  pass  to  the  settlement. 

They  might  easily  have  slain  or  secured  the  missionary 
and  his  household  without  alarming  the  people  in  the  vil- 
lage, but  their  plan  of  attack  forbade  such  a  premature 
proceeding.  The  trio  therefore  finished  their  chapter  and 
their  morning  prayer  undisturbed,  little  dreaming  of  the 
number  of  glittering  eyes  that  watched  their  proceedings. 


CHAPTEH  VIII. 

▲  SURPRISE  — A  BATTLE  AND  A   FIRE. 

The  sound  of  the  Sabbath  bell  fell  sweetly  on  the  pas* 
tor's  ear  as  he  descended  to  his  dwelling  to  make  a  few 
final  preparations  for  the  duties  of  the  day ;  and  from  every 
hut  in  Sandy  Cove  trooped  forth  the  native  Christians, 
young  and  old,  to  assemble  in  the  house  of  God. 

With  great  labor  and  much  pains  had  this  church  been 
built,  and  pastor  and  people  alike  were  not  a  little  proud 
of  their  handiwork.  The  former  had  drawn  the  plans  and 
given  the  measurements,  leaving  it  to  Henry  Stuart  to  see 
them  properly  carried  out  in  detail,  while  the  latter  did 
the  work.  They  cut  and  squared  the  timbers,  gathered 
the  coral,  burnt  it  for  lime,  and  plastered  the  building. 
The  women  and  children  carried  the  lime  from  the  beach 
in  baskets,  and  the  men  dragged  the  heavy  logs  from  the 
mountains,  —  in  some  cases  for  several  miles,  —  the  timber 
in  the  immediate  neighborhood  not  being  sufficiently  large 
for  their  purpose. 

The  poor  natives  worked  with  heai't  and  soul  ;  for 
love,  and  the  desire  to  please  and  to  be  pleased,  had  been 
awakened  within  them.  Besides  this,  the  work  had  for 
them  all  the  zest  of  novelty.  They  wrought  at  it  with 
somewhat  of  the  feelings  of  children  at  play,  —  pausing 
frequently  in  the  midst  of  their  toil  to  gaze  in  wonder  and 
ttdmiration  at  the  growing  edifice,  which  would  have  done 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  79 

no  little  credit  to  a  professional  architect  and  to  more 
skilled  ^  orkmen. 

The  white  men  of  the  place  also  lent  a  willing  hand  ; 
for  although  some  of  tliem  were  bad  men,  yet  they  were 
constrained  to  respect  the  consistent  character  and  blame- 
less life  of  the  missionary,  who  not  unfrequently  experi- 
enced the  fulfilment  of  that  word :  "  When  a  man's  ways 
please  the  Lord,  he  maketh  even  his  enemies  to  be  at 
peace  with  him."  Besides  this,  all  of  them,  however  un- 
willing they  might  be  to  accept  Christianity  for  themselves, 
were  fully  ahve  to  the  advantages  they  derived  from  its 
introduction  among  the  natives. 

With  so  many  willing  hands  at  work,  the  little  church 
was  soon  finished ;  and,  at  the  time  when  the  events  we 
are  describing  occurred,  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  to  it 
except  some  trifling  arrangements  connected  with  the 
steeple,  and  the  glazing  of  the  windows.  This  latter  piece 
of  work  was,  in  such  a  climate,  of  little  importance. 

Long  before  the  bell  had  ceased  to  toll,  the  church  was 
full  of  natives,  whose  dark,  eager  faces  were  turned 
towards  the  door,  in  expectation  of  the  appearance  of  their 
pastor.  The  building  was  so  full  that  many  of  the  peo- 
ple were  content  to  cluster  round  the  door,  or  the  outside 
of  the  unglazed  windows.  On  this  particular  Sunday 
there  were  strangers  there,  who  roused  the  curiosity  and 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  congregation.  Before  Mr. 
Mason  arrived,  there  was  a  slight  bustle  at  the  door  as 
Captain  Montague,  with  several  of  his  officers  and  men, 
entered,  and  were  shown  to  the  missionary's  seat  by  Mas- 
ter Corrie,  who,  with  his  round  visage  elongated  as  much 
as  possible,  and  his  round  eyes  expressing  a  look  of  in- 
human solemnity,  in  consequence  of  his  attempt  to  affect  a 
virtue  which  he  did  not  possess,  performed  the  duties  of 


80  GASCOYNE, 

doorkeeper.  Montague  had  come  on  shore  to  ascertain 
from  Mr.  Mason  what  likelihood  there  was  of  an  earlj 
attack  by  the  natives. 

"  Where's  Alice  "  whispered  the  boy  to  Poopy,  as  the 
girl  entered  the  church,  and  seated  herself  beside  a  little 
midshipman,  who  looked  at  her  with  a  mingled  expression 
of  disgust  and  contempt,  and  edged  away, 

"  Got  a  little  headache,  —  hee  !  Iiee  ! " 

"  Don't  laugh  in  church,  you  monster,"  said  Corrie,  with 
a  frown. 

"  I'se  not  larfin,"  retorted  Poopy,  with  an  injured  look. 

Just  then  the  boy  caught  sight  of  a  gigantic  figure  en- 
tering the  church,  and  darted  away  to  usher  the  stranger 
into  the  pastor's  seat ;  but  Gascoyne  (for  it  was  he)  took 
no  notice  of  him.  He  passed  steadily  up  the  centre  of  the 
church,  and  sat  down  beside  the  Widow  Stuart,  whose  face 
expressed  anxiety  and  surprise  the  moment  she  observed 
who  was  seated  there.  The  countenance  of  Henry,  who 
sat  on  the  other  side  of  his  mother,  flushed,  and  he  turned 
with  an  angry  glance  to^uu'ds  the  captain  of  the  Foam. 
But  the  look  was  thrown  away  ;  for  Gascoyne  had  placed 
his  arras  on  the  back  of  the  seat  in  front  of  him,  and  rested 
his  head  on  them;  in  which  position  he  continued  to 
remain  without  motion  while  the  service  was  going  on. 

Mr.  Mason  began  with  a  short,  earnest  prayer  in  Eng- 
lish ;  then  he  read  out  a  hymn  in  the  native  tongue,  wliich 
was  sung  in  good  tune,  and  with  great  energy,  by  the  whole 
congregation.  This  was  followed  by  a  chapter  in  the  New 
Testament,  and  another  prayer ;  but  all  the  service,  with 
the  exception  of  the  first  prayer,  was  conducted  in  the 
native  language.  The  text  was  (hen  read  out :  "  Thoug'li 
thy  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  sliall  be  white  as  snow  ;  though 
they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  white  as  wool." 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.  81 

Frederick  Mason  possessed  the  power  of  chaining  the 
attention  of  an  audience ;  and  a  deep,  breathless  silence 
prevailed,  as  he  labored,  with  intense  fervor,  to  convince 
his  hearers  of  the  love  of  God,  and  the  willingness  and 
ability  of  Jesus  Christ  to  save  even  the  chief  of  sinners. 
During  one  part  of  the  service,  a  deep,  low  groan  startled 
the  congregation ;  but  no  one  could  tell  who  had  uttered 
it.  As  it  was  not  repeated,  it  was  soon  forgotten  by  most 
of  the  people. 

While  the  pastor  was  thus  engaged,  a  pistol-shot  was 
heard,  and  immediately  after,  a  loud,  fierce  yell  burst  from 
the  forest,  causing  the  ears  of  those  who  heard  it  to  tingle, 
and  their  hearts  for  a  moment  to  quail.  In  less  than  ten 
minutes,  the  church  was  empty,  and  the  males  of  the  con- 
gregation were  engaged  in  a  desperate  hand-to-hand  con- 
flict with  the  savages  ;  who,  having  availed  themselves  of 
the  one  unguarded  pass,  had  quietly  eluded  the  vigilance 
of  the  scouts,  and  assembled  in  force  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  settlement. 

Fortunately  for  the  worshippers  that  morning,  the  anxi- 
ety of  Master  Corrie  for  the  welfare  of  his  fair  Alice  in- 
duced him  to  slip  out  of  the  church  just  after  the  sermon 
began.  Hastening  to  the  pastor's  house,  he  found  the 
child  sound  asleep  on  a  sofa,  and  a  savage  standing  over 
her  with  a  spear  in  his  hand.  The  boy  had  approached 
so  stealthily  that  the  savage  did  not  hear  him.  Remem- 
bering that  he  had  left  his  pistol  on  the  kitchen  table,  he 
darted  round  to  the  back  door  of  the  house,  and  secured  it 
just  as  Alice  awoke  with  a  scream  of  surprise  and  terror, 
on  beholding  who  was  near  her. 

Next  moment  Corrie  was  at  her  side,  and  before  the 
savage  could  seize  the  child,  he  levelled  the  pistol  at  his 
bead  and  fired.  The  aim  was  sullicieutly  true  to  cause 
% 


82  GASCOYNE, 

the  ball  to  graze  the  man's  forehead,  while  the  smoke  and 
fire  partially  blinded  him. 

It  was  this  shot  that  first  alarmed  the  natives  in  church, 
and  it  was  the  yell  uttered  by  the  wounded  man,  as  he 
fell  stunned  on  the  floor,  that  called  forth  the  answering 
yell  from  the  savage  host,  and  precipitated  the  attack. 

It  was  sufficiently  premature  to  give  the  people  of  the 
settlement  time  to  seize  their  arms ;  which,  as  has  been 
said,  they  had  placed  so  as  to  be  available  at  a  moment's 
notice. 

The  figlit  that  ensued  was  a  desperate,  and  almost  in- 
discriminate melee.  The  attacking  party  had  been  so 
sure  of  taking  the  people  by  surprise  that  they  formed  no 
plan  of  attack  ;  but  simply  arranged  that,  at  a  given  sig- 
nal from  their  chief,  a  united  rush  should  be  made  upon 
the  church,  and  a  general  massacre  ensue.  As  we  have 
seen,  Corrie's  pistol  drew  forth  the  signal  sooner  than  had 
been  intended.  In  the  rush  that  immediately  ensued,  a 
party  dashed  through  the  house,  the  boy  was  overturned, 
and  a  savage  gave  him  a  passing  blow  with  a  club  that 
would  have  scattered  liis  brains  on  the  floor  had  it  taken 
full  effect ;  but  it  was  hastily  delivered ;  it  glanced  off  his 
head,  and  spent  its  force  on  the  shoulder  of  the  chief,  who 
was  thus  unfortunate  enough  to  be  wounded  by  friends  as 
well  as  foes.. 

On  the  first  alarm,  Gascoyne  sprang  up,  and  darted 
through  the  door.  He  was  closely  followed  by  Henry 
Stuart,  and  the  captain  of  the  Talisman,  with  his  handful 
of  officers  and  men,  who  were  all  armed,  as  a  matter  of 
course. 

"  Sit  where  you  are,"  cried  Henry  to  his  trembling 
mother,  as  he  sprang  after  Gascoyne  ;  "  the  church  is  the 
safest  place  you'll  find." 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  83 

The  wddow  fell  on  her  knees,  and  prayed  to  God  while 
the  light  raged  without. 

Among  the  first  to  leave  the  church  was  the  pastor.  The 
thought  of  his  child  having  been  left  in  the  liouse  unpro- 
tected filled  him  with  an  agony  of  fear.  He  sought  no 
weapon  of  war,  but  darted  unarmed  straight  into  the 
midst  of  the  savage  host  that  stood  betAveen  him  and  the 
object  of  his  affection.  His  rush  was  so  impetuous,  that 
he  fairly  overturned  several  of  his  opponents  by  dashing 
against  them.  The  numbers  that  surrounded  him,  how- 
ever, soon  arrested  his  progress ;  but  he  had  pressed  so 
close  in  amongst  them,  that  they  were  actually  too  closely 
packed,  for  a  few  seconds,  to  be  able  to  use  their  heavy 
clubs  and  long  spears  with  effect. 

It  was  well  for  the  poor  missionary,  at  that  moment, 
that  he  had  learned  the  art  of  boxing  when  a  boy !  The 
knowledge  so  acquired  had  never  induced  him  to  engage 
in  dishonorable  and  vulgar  strife ;  but  it  had  taught  him 
how  and  where  to  deliver  a  straightforward  blow  with 
effect;  and  he  now  struck  out  with  tremendous  energy, 
knocking  down  an  adversary  at  every  blow ;  for  the 
thought  of  Alice  lent  additional  strength  to  his  powerful 
arm.  Success  in  such  warfare,  hov/ever,  was  not  to  be 
expected.  Still,  Mr.  Mason's  activity  and  vigor  averted 
his  own  destruction  for  a  few  minutes ;  and  these  minutes 
were  precious,  for  they  afforded  time  for  Captain  Mon- 
tague and  his  officers  to  cut  their  way  to  the  spot  where 
he  fought,  just  as  a  murderous  club  was  about  to  descend 
on  his  head  from  behind.  Montague's  sword  unstrung  the 
arm  that  upheld  it,  and  the  next  instant  the  pastor  was 
surrounded  by  friends. 

Among  their  number  was  Join  Bumpus,  who  was  one 
of  the  crew  of  Montague's  boat,  and  who  now  rushed  upon 


84  GASCOYNE, 

the  sa/ages  with  a  howl  peculiarly  his  own.  felling  one 
with  a  blow  of  his  fist,  and  another  with  a  slash  of  hia 
cutlass. 

"  You  must  retire,"  said  Montague,  hastily,  to  Freder- 
ick Mason,  who  stood  panting  and  inactive  for  a  few  rao- 
menfs  in  order  to  recover  breath.  "  You  are  unarmed, 
sir ;  besides,  your  profession  forbids  you  taking  part  in 
such  work  as  this.  There  are  men  of  war  enough  here 
to  keep  these  fellows  in  play." 

Montague  spoke  somewhat  sharply ;  for  he  erroneously 
fancied  that  the  missionary's  love  of  fighting  had  led  him 
into  the  fray. 

"  My  profession  does  not  forbid  me  to  save  my  child," 
exclaimed  the  pastor,  wildly. 

He  turned  in  the  direction  of  his  cottage,  which  was 
full  in  view ;  and  at  that  moment  smoke  burst  from  the 
roof  and  windows.  With  a  cry  of  despair,  Mr.  Mason 
once  more  launched  himself  on  the  host  of  savages ;  but 
these  were  now  so  numerous  that,  instead  of  making  head 
against  them,  the  little  knot  of  sailors  who  opposed  tliera 
at  that  particular  place  found  it  was  as  much  as  they  could 
do  to  keep  them  at  bay. 

The  issue  of  the  conflict  was  still  doubtful,  when  a  large 
accession  to  their  numbers  gave  the  savages  additional 
power  and  courage.  They  made  a  sudden  onset,  and  bore 
back  the  small  band  of  white  men.  In  the  rush  the  pas- 
tor was  overthrown,  and  rendered  for  a  time  insensible. 

While  this  was  going  on  in  one  part  of  the  field,  in 
another,  stout  Ole  Thorwald,  with  several  of  the  white 
settlers  and  the  greater  part  of  the  native  force,  was 
guarding  the  principal  approach  to  the  church  against  im- 
mensely superior  numbers.  And  nobly  did  the  descend- 
ant of  the  Norse  sea-kings  maintain  the  credit  of  his  war* 


IHE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  85 

like  ancestors  that  day.  With  a  sword  that  might  have 
matched  that  of  Goliath  of  Gath,  he  swept  the  way  bo- 
fore  him  wherever  he  went,  and  more  than  once  by  a  fu- 
rious onset  turned  the  tide  of  war  in  favor  of  his  party 
when  it  seemed  about  to  overwhelm  them. 

In  a  more  distant  part  of  the  field,  on  the  banks  of  a 
small  stream,  which  was  spanned  by  a  bridge  about  fifty 
paces  further  down,  Gascoyne  and  Henry  Stuart  con- 
tended, almost  alone,  with  about  thirty  savages.  These 
two  had  rushed  forward  with  such  impetuosity  at  the  first 
onset  as  to  have  been  separated  from  their  friends,  and, 
with  four  Christian  natives,  had  been  surrounded.  Henry 
was  armed  with  a  heavy  claymore,  the  edge  of  which  be- 
tokened that  it  had  once  seen  much  service  in  the  wars  of 
the  youth's  Scottish  ancestors.  Gascoyne,  not  anticipating 
this  attack,  had  returned  to  the  settlement  armed  only 
with  his  knife.  He  had  seized  the  first  weapon  that  came 
to  hand,  which  chanced  to  be  an  enormous  iron  shovel, 
and  with  this  terrific  implement  the  giant  carried  all  before 
him. 

It  was  quite  unintentionally  that  he  and  Henry  had 
come  together.  But  the  nature  and  power  of  the  two  men 
being  somewhat  similar,  they  had  singled  out  the  same 
point  of  danger,  and  had  made  their  attack  with  the  same 
overwhelming  vehemence.  The  muscles  of  both  seemed 
to  be  made  of  iron ;  for,  as  increasing  numbers  pressed 
upon  them,  they  appeared  to  deliver  their  terrible  blows 
with  increasing  rapidity  and  vigor,  and  the  savages,  ae- 
spite  their  numbers,  began  to  quail  before  them. 

Just  then  Keona  —  who,  although  wounded,  hovered 
about  doing  as  much  mischief  as  he  could  with  his  left 
hand  (vvhirh,  by  the  way,  seemed  to  be  almost  as  eflicient 
as  his  right)  —  caught  sight  of  this  group  of  combatants 


86  GASCOYNE, 

on  the  banks  of  the  stream.  He,  with  a  party,  had  suc- 
ceeded in  forcing  the  bridge,  and  now,  uttering  a  shout  of 
wild  delight  at  the  sight  of  his  two  greatest  enemies  within 
his  power,  as  he  thought,  he  rushed  towards  them,  and 
darted  his  spear  with  unerring  aim  and  terrible  violeEC-e, 
The  man's  anger  defeated  his  purpose ;  for  the  •  shout  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  Gascoyne,  who  saw  the  speai 
coming  straight  towards  Henry's  breast.  He  interposed 
the  shovel  instantly,  and  the  spear  fell  harmless  to  the 
ground.  At  the  same  time,  with  a  back-handed  sweep  he 
brained  a  gigantic  savage  who  at  the  moment  was  engag- 
ing Henry's  undivided  attention.  Bounding  forward  with 
a  burst  of  anger,  Gascoyne  sought  to  close  with  Keona. 
He  succeeded  but  too  well,  however;  for  he  could  not  check 
himself  sufficiently  to  deliver  an  effective  blow,  but  went 
crashing  against  his  enemy,  and  the  two  fell  to  the  ground. 

In  an  instant  a  rush  was  made  on  the  fallen  man  ;  but 
Henry  leaped  forward,  and  sweeping  down  two  opponents 
with  one  cut  of  his  claymore,  afforded  his  companion  time 
to  leap  up. 

"  Come,  we  are  quits,"  said  Henry,  with  a  grim  smile, 
as  the  two  darted  again  on  the  foe. 

At  that  moment  Ole  Thorwald,  having  scattered  the 
pirty  he  first  engaged,  came  tearing  down  towards  the 
bridge,  whirling  the  great  sword  round  his  head,  and 
shouting  "  victory  "  in  the  voice  of  a  Stentor. 

"  Ha !  here  is  more  work,"  he  cried,  as  his  eye  fell  on 
Gascoyne's  figure.    "  Thorwald  to  the  rescue,  —  hurrah  !  " 

In  another  moment  the  savages  were  flying  pell-mell 
across  the  bridge  with  Gascoyne  and  Henry  close  on  their 
heels,  and  the  stout  merchant  panting  after  them,  with  his 
victorious  band,  as  fast  as  his  less  agile  limbs  could  carry 
him. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  87 

It  was  at  this  moment  that  Gascoyne  and  Henry  noticed 
the  attack  made  on  the  small  party  of  sailors,  and  observed 
the  fall  of  Mr.  Mason. 

"  Thorwald  to  the  rescue !  "  shouted  Gascoyne,  in  a  voice 
that  rolled  deep  and  loud  over  the  whole  field  like  the  roar 
of  a  lion. 

"  Ay,  ay,  my  noisy  stranger ;  it's  easy  for  your  tough 
limbs  to  carry  you  up  the  hill,"  gasped  Ole  ;  "  but  the 
weight  of  ten  or  fifteen  years  will  change  your  step.  Hur- 
rah!" 

The  cry  of  the  bold  Norseman,  coupled  with  that  of 
Gascoyne,  had  the  double  effect  of  checking  the  onset  of 
the  enemy,  and  of  collecting  their  own  scattered  forces 
around  them.  The  battle  was  now  drawing  to  a  point. 
Men  who  were  skirmishing  in  various  places  left  off  and 
hastened  to  the  spot  on  which  the  closing  scene  was  now 
evidently  to  be  enacted ;  and  for  a  few  minutes  the  con- 
tending parties  paused,  as  if  by  mutual  consent,  to  breathe 
and  scan  each  other  before  making  the  final  attack. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that,  during  the  fight  v/hich  we 
have  described,  the  crew  of  the  Talisman  were  idle.  At 
the  first  sign  of  disturbance  on  shore,  the  boats  were  low- 
ered, and  a  well-armed  force  rowed  for  the  landing-place 
as  swiftly  as  the  strong  and  willing  arms  of  the  men  could 
pulL  But  the  distance  between  the  vessel  and  the  shore 
was  considerable,  and  the  events  we  have  recounted  were 
quickly  enacted ;  so  that  before  the  boats  had  proceeded 
half  the  distance  the  fight  was  nearly  over,  and  the  settle- 
ment seemed  about  to  be  overwhelmed. 

These  facts  were  not  lost  upon  the  first  lieutenant  of 
the  Talisman,  Mr.  Mulroy,  who,  with  telescope  in  hand, 
watched  the  progress  of  the  fight  with  great  anxiety.  He 
saw  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  boats  to  reach  the  shore 


88  GASCOYXE, 

in  time  to  render  efficient  aid.  He  also  observed  that  a 
fresh  band  of  savages  were  hastening  to  reinforce  theit 
comrades,  and  that  the  united  band  would  be  so  overpow- 
eringly  strong  as  to  render  the  chances  of  a  successful  re- 
sistance on  the  part  of  the  settlers  very  doubtful  indeed  — 
almost  hopeless. 

In  these  circumstances  he  adopted  a  course  which  was 
as  bold  as  it  was  dangerous.  Observing  that  the  savages 
mustered  for  the  final  onset  in  a  dense  mass  on  an  emi- 
nence which  just  raised  their  heads  a  little  above  those  of 
the  party  they  were  about  to  attack,  he  at  once  loaded 
three  of  the  largest  guns  with  round  shot  and  pointed  thera 
at  the  mass  of  human  beings  with  the  utmost  possible 
care.  There  was  the  greatest  danger  of  hitting  friends 
instead  of  foes  ;  but  Mr.  Mulroy  thought  it  his  duty  to 
incur  the  responsibility  of  running  the  risk. 

Montague,  to  whom  the  command  of  the  band  of  united 
settlers  had  been  given  by  general  consent,  had  thrown 
them  rapidly  into  some  sort  of  order,  and  was  about  to 
give  the  word  to  charge,  when  the  savage  host  suddenly 
began  to  pour  down  the  hill  with  frantic  yells. 

Mulroy  did  not  hear  the  shouts,  but  he  perceived  the 
movement.  Suddenly,  as  if  a  thunder  storm  had  burst 
over  the  island,  the  echoes  of  the  hills  were  startled  by  the 
roar  of  heavy  artillery,  and,  one  after  another,  the  three 
guns  hurled  their  deadly  contents  into  the  centre  of  the 
rushing  mass,  through  which  three  broad  lanes  were  cut  in 
quick  succession. 

The  horrible  noise  and  the  dreadful  slaughter  in  their 
ranks  seemed  to  render  the  affrighted  creatures  incapable 
of  action,  for  tlicy  came  to  a  dead  halt. 

"  Well  done,  Mulroy  ! "  shouted  Montague  ;  "  forward, 
boys,  —  charge  !  " 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  89 

A  true  British  cheer  burst  from  tlie  tars  and  white  set- 
tlers, which  served  further  to  strike  terror  into  the  hearts 
of  the  enemy.  In  another  moment  they  rushed  up  the 
hill,  led  on  by  Montague,  Gascoyne,  Henry,  and  Thor- 
wald.  But  the  savages  did  not  await  the  shock.  Seized 
with  a  complete  panic,  they  turned  and  fled  in  utter  con- 
fusion. 

Just  as  this  occurred,  Mr.  Mason  began  to  recover  con- 
sciousness. Recollecting  suddenly  what  had  occurred,  he 
started  up  and  followed  his  friends,  who  were  now  in  hot 
pursuit  of  the  foe  in  the  direction  of  his  own  cottage. 
Quickly  though  they  ran,  the  anxious  father  overtook  and 
passed  them  ;  but  he  soon  perceived  that  his  dwelling  was 
wrapped  in  flames  from  end  to  end. 

Darting  through  the  smoke  and  fire  to  his  daughter's 
room,  he  shouted  her  name ;  but  no  voice  replied.  He 
sprang  to  the  bed,  —  it  was  empty.  "With  a  cry  of  despair, 
and  blinded  by  smoke,  he  dashed  about  the  room,  grasping 
wildly  at  objects  in  the  hope  that  he  might  find  his  child. 
As  he  did  so  he  stumbled  over  a  prostrate  form,  which  he 
instantly  seized,  raised  in  his  arms,  and  bore  out  of  the 
blazing  house,  round  which  a  number  of  the  people  were 
now  assembled. 

The  form  he  had  thus  plucked  from  destruction  was 
that  of  the  poor  boy,  who  would  willingly  have  given  his 
life  to  rescue  Alice,  and  who  still  lay  in  the  state  of  insen- 
sibility into  which  he  h:id  been  thrown  by  the  blow  from 
the  savage's  heavy  club. 

The  missionary  dropped  his  burden,  turned  wildly 
round,  and  was  about  to  plunge  once  again  into  the  heart 
of  the  blazing  ruin,  when  he  was  seized  in  the  strong  arms 
of  Henry  Stuart,  who,  with  the  assistance  of  Ole  Thor- 


90  GASCOYNE. 

wald,  forcibly  prevented  him  from  doing  that  which  would 
have  resulted  in  almost  certain  death. 

The  pastor's  head  sunk  on  his  breast.  The  excitement 
of  action  and  hope  no  longer  sustained  him.  With  a  deep 
gi'oan,  he  fell  to  the  earth  insensible. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

B1F7IED  AND  PERPLEXED  —  PLANS  FOS  A  SE8CUB. 

While  the  men  assembled  round  the  prostrate  form  of 
Mr.  Mason  were  attempting  to  rescue  him  from  his  state 
of  stupor,  poor  Corrie  began  to  show  symptoms  of  return- 
ing vitality.  A  can  of  water,  poured  over  him  by  Henry, 
did  much  to  restore  him.  But  no  sooner  was  he  enabled 
to  understand  what  was  going  on,  and  to  recall  what  had 
happened,  than  he  sprang  up  with  a  wild  cry  of  despair, 
and  rushed  towards  the  blazing  house.  Again  Henry's 
quick  arm  arrested  a  friend  in  his  mad  career. 

"  Oh !  she's  there  !  —  Alice  is  there  I "  shrieked  the  boy, 
as  he  struggled  passionately  to  free  himself 

"  You  can  do  nothing,  Corrie,"  said  Henry,  trying  to 
soothe  him. 

"  Coward ! "  gasped  the  boy,  in  a  paroxysm  of  rage,  as 
he  clenched  his  fist  and  struck  his  captor  on  the  chest  with 
all  his  force. 

"  Hold  him,"  said  Henry,  turning  to  John  Bumpus,  who 
at  that  moment  came  up. 

Bumpus  nodded  intelligently,  and  seized  the  boy,  who 
uttered  a  groan  of  anguish  as  he  ceased  a  struggle  which 
he  felt  was  hopeless  in  such  an  iron  gripe. 

"  Now,  friends  —  all  of  you,"  shouted  Henry,  the  mo- 
ment he  was  relieved  of  his  charge  :  "  little  Alice  is  in  that 
house.     We  must  pull  it  down.     Who  will  lend  a  hand  ?  " 


92  GASCOYXE, 

He  did  not  pause  for  an  answer,  but,  seizing  an  axe, 
rushed  tluougli  the  smoke  and  began  to  cut  down  the 
door-posts.  The  whole  party  there  assembled,  numbering 
a])out  fifty,  rushed  forward,  as  one  man,  to  aid  in  the  elFort. 
The  attempt  was  a  wild  one.  Had  Henry  considered  foi 
a  moment,  he  would  have  seen  that,  in  the  event  of  their 
succeeding  in  pulling  down  the  blazing  pile,  they  would  in 
all  probability  smother  the  child  in  the  ruins. 

"  The  shell  is  in  the  out-house,"  said  Corrie,  eagerly,  to 
the  giant  who  held  him. 

"  Wot  shell  ?  "  inquired  Bumpus. 

"  The  shell  that  they  blow  like  a  horn  to  call  the  people 
to  work  with." 

"  Ah !  you're  sane  again,"  said  the  sailor,  releasing  him ; 
"  go,  find  it,  lad,  and  blow  till  yer  cheeks  crack." 

Corrie  was  gone  long  before  Jo  had  concluded  even  that 
short  remark.  In  another  second  the  harsh  but  loud  sound 
of  the  shell  rang  over  the  hillside.  The  settlers,  black 
and  white,  immediately  ceased  their  pursuit  of  the  sav- 
ages, and  from  every  side  they  came  trooping  in  by  doz- 
ens. Without  waiting  to  inquire  the  cause  of  what  was 
being  done,  each  man,  as  he  arrived,  fell  to  work  on  the 
blazing  edifice,  and,  urged  on  by  Henry's  voice  and  exam- 
ple, toiled  and  moiled  in  the  midst  of  fire  and  smoke  until 
the  pastor's  house  was  literally  pulled  to  pieces. 

Fortunately  for  httle  Alice,  she  had  been  carried  out 
of  the  house  long  before  by  Keona,  who,  being  subtle  as 
well  as  revengeful,  knew  well  how  to  strike  at  the  tender- 
est  part  of  the  white  man's  heart. 

While  her  friends  were  thus  frantically  endeavoring  to 
deliver  her  from  the  buniing  house  in  which  they  supposed 
her  to  be,  Alice  was  being  hurried  through  the  woods  by 
a  stec])  mountain  path  in  the  direction  of  the  native  vil- 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  93 

lage.  Happily  for  the  feelings  of  her  father,  the  fact  wa3 
made  known,  soon  after  the  house  had  been  pulled  down, 
by  the  arrival  of  a  small  party  of  native  settlers  bearing 
one  of  the  child's  shoes.  They  had  found  it,  they  said, 
sticking  in  the  mud,  about  a  mile  oiF,  and  had  tracked  the 
little  footsteps  a  long  way  into  the  mountains  by  the  side 
of  the  prints  made  by  the  naked  feet  of  a  savage.  At 
length  they  had  lost  the  tracks  amid  the  hard  lava  rocks, 
and  had  given  up  the  chase. 

"  "We  must  follow  them  up  instantly,"  said  Mr.  Mason, 
who  had  by  this  time  recovered  ;  "  no  time  is  to  be  lost." 

"  Ay,  time  is  precious ;  who  will  go  ?  "  cried  Henry, 
who,  begrimmed  with  fire  and  smoke,  and  panting  vehe- 
mently from  racent  exertion,  had  just  at  that  moment  come 
towards  the  group. 

"  Take  me !  oh  take  me,  Henry ! "  cried  Corrie,  in  a 
beseeching  tone,  as  he  sprang  promptly  to  his  friend's  side. 

At  any  other  time,  Henry  would  have  smiled  at  the  en- 
thusiastic offer  of  such  a  small  arm  to  fight  the  savages ; 
but  fierce  anger  was  in  his  breast  at  that  moment.  He 
turned  from  the  poor  boy  and  looked  round  with  a  frown, 
as  he  observed  that,  although  the  natives  crow^ded  round 
him  at  once,  neither  Gascoyne,  nor  Thorwald,  nor  Cap- 
tain Montague  showed  any  symptom  of  an  mtention  to 
accompany  him. 

"  Nay,  be  not  angry,  lad,"  said  Gascoyne,  observing  the 
frown  ;  "  your  blood  is  young  and  hot,  as  it  should  be  ;  but 
it  behooves  us  to  have  a  council  of  war  before  we  set  out 
on  this  expedition,  which,  believe  me,  will  be  no  trifling 
one,  if  I  know  anything  of  savage  ways  and  doings." 

"  Mr.  Gascoyne  is  right,"  said  Montague,  turning  to  the 
missionary,  who  stood  regarding  the  party  with  anxious 
looks,  quite  unable  to  offer  advice  on  such  an  occasion, 


94  GASCOYXE, 

and  clasping  the  little  shoe  firmly  in  both  hands ;  *'  h 
seems  to  me  that  those  who  know  the  customs  of  savaj'e 
warfare  should  give  their  advice  first.  You  may  depend 
on  all  the  aid  that  it  is  in  my  power  to  give." 

"  Ole  Thorwald  is  our  leader  when  we  are  compelled 
to  fight  in  self-defence,"  said  Mr.  Mason ;  "  would  God 
that  it  were  less  frequently  we  were  obliged  to  demand 
his  services.     He  knows  what  is  best  to  be  done." 

"  I  know  what  is  best  to  do,"  said  Thorwald,  "  when  I 
have  to  lead  men  into  action,  or  to  show  them  how  to  fight. 
But,  to  say  truth,  I  don't  plume  myself  on  possessing  more 
than  an  average  share  of  the  qualities  of  the  terrier  dog. 
"When  niggers  are  to  be  hunted  out  of  holes  in  the  moun- 
tains like  rabbits,  I  will  do  what  in  me  hes  to  aid  in  the 
work  ;  but  I  had  rather  be  led  than  lead  if  you  can  find  a 
better  man." 

Thorwald  said  this  with  a  rueful  countenance,  for  he 
had  hoped  to  have  settled  this  war  in  a  pitched  battle  ; 
and  there  vrere  few  tilings  the  worthy  man  seemed  to  enjoy 
more  than  a  stand-up  fight  on  level  ground.  A  fair  field 
and  no  favor  was  his  delight ;  but  climbing  the  hills  was 
his  mortal  aversion.  He  was  somewhat  too  corpulent  and 
short  of  wind  for  that. 

"  Come,  Gascoyne,"  said  Henry ;  "  you  know  more 
about  the  savages  than  anybody  here ;  and  if  I  remember 
rightly,  you  have  told  me  that  you  are  acquainted  with 
most  of  the  mountain  passes." 

"  With  all  of  them,  lad,"  interposed  Gascoyne  ;  "  I  know 
every  pass  and  cavern  on  the  i.-land." 

"  What,  then,  would  you  advise  ?  "  asked  Montague. 

"  If  a  British  officer  can  put  himself  under  a  simple 
trading  skipper,"  said  Gascoyne,  "I  may  perhaps  show 
what  ought  to  be  done  in  this  cmorgeucy." 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  IRADER.  95 

**'  I  can  cooperate  with  anv  one  who  pi  d\  es  himself 
worthy  of  confidence,"  retorted  Montague,  sharply. 

"  Well,  then,"  continued  the  other,  "  it  is  vain  to  think 
of  doing  any  good  by  a  disorderly  chase  into  mountains 
like  these.  I  would  advise  that  our  forces  be  divided  into 
three.  One  band  under  Mr.  Thorwald  should  go  round 
by  the  Goat's  Pass,  to  which  I  will  guide  him,  and  cut 
off  the  retreat  of  the  savages  there  ;  another  party  under 
my  friend  Henry  Stuart  should  give  chase  in  the  direction 
in  which  little  Alice  seems  to  have  been  taken ;  and  a  third 
party,  consisting  of  his  Majesty's  vessel  the  Talisman  and 
crew,  should  proceed  round  to  the  north  side  of  the  island 
and  bombard  the  native  village." 

*'  The  Goat's  Pass,"  growled  Thorwald,  "  sounds  un- 
pleasantly rugged  and  steep  in  the  ears  of  a  man  of  my 
weight  and  years.  Mister  Gascoyne.  But  if  there's  no 
easier  style  of  work  to  be  done,  I  fancy  I  must  be  content 
with  what  falls  to  my  lot." 

"  And  truly,"  added  Montague,  "  methinks  you  might 
have  assigned  me  a  more  useful,  as  well  as  more  congenial 
occupation,  than  the  bombardment  of  a  mud  village  full 
of  women  and  children  ;  for  I  doubt  not  that  every  able- 
bodied  man  has  left  it,  to  go  on  this  expedition." 

"  You'll  not  find  the  Goat's  Pass  so  bad  as  you  think, 
good  Thorwald,"  returned  Gascoyne  ;  "  for  I  propose  that 
the  Talisman  or  her  boats  should  convey  you  and  your 
men  to  the  foot  of  it,  after  which  your  course  will  be  indeed 
rugged,  but  it  will  be  short ;  —  merely  to  scale  the  face  of 
a  precipice  that  would  frighten  a  goat  to  think  of,  and  then 
a  plain  descent  into  the  valley,  where,  I  doubt  not,  these 
villains  will  be  found  in  force  ;  and  where,  certainly,  they 
will  not  look  for  the  appearance  of  a  stout  generalissimo  of 
half-savage  troops.     As  for  the  bombarding  of  a  mud  vil* 


96  GASCOYNE, 

lage,  Mr.  Montague,  I  should  have  expected  a  well-trained 
British  ollicer  ready  to  do  his  duty,  whether  that  duty  were 
agreeable  or  otherwise. 

"  My  duty^  certainly,"  interrupted  the  young  captain, 
hotly  ;  "  but  I  have  yet  to  learn  that  your  orders  constitute 
my  duty." 

The  bland  smile  with  which  Gascoyne  listened  to  this 
tended  rather  to  irritate  than  to  soothe  Montague's  feel- 
ings ;  but  he  curbed  the  passion  which  stirred  his  breast, 
while  the  other  went  on  : 

"  No  doubt  the  bombarding  of  a  defenceless  village  is 
not  pleasant  work  ;  but  the  result  will  be  important,  for  it 
will  cause  the  whole  army  of  savages  to  rush  to  the  ] pro- 
tection of  their  women  and  childi-en,  thereby  disconcerting 
their  plans  —  supposing  them  to  have  any  —  and  enabling 
us  to  attack  them  while  assembled  in  force.  It  is  the 
nature  of  savages  to  scatter,  and  so  to  puzzle  trained 
forces  ;  and  no  doubt  those  of  his  Majesty  are  well 
trained.  But  '  one  touch  of  nature  makes  the  whole 
world  kin,'  says  a  great  authority  ;  and  it  is  wonderful  how 
useful  a  knowledge  of  the  various  touches  of  nature  is  in 
the  art  of  war.  It  may  not  have  occurred  to  Mr.  Mon- 
tague that  savages  have  a  tendency  to  love  and  protect 
their  wives  and  children,  as  well  as  civilized  men,  and 
that  —  " 

"  Pray,  cease  your  irrelevant  remarks ;  they  are  ill- 
timed,  "  said  Montague,  impatiently.  "  Let  us  hear  tlie 
remainder  of  your  suggestions.  I  shall  judge  of  their 
value,  and  act  accordingly.  You  have  not  yet  told  us  what 
part  you  yourself  intt-nd  to  play  in  this  game." 

"  1  mean  to  accompany  Captain  Montague,  if  he  will 
permit  me." 

"  How  I  go  with  me  in  the  Talisman  ?  "  said  Montague, 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.  97 

surprised  at  the  man's  coolness,  and  puzzled  by  his  impu- 
dence. 

"  Even  so,"  said  Gascojne. 

"  Well,  I  have  no  objection,  of  course  ;  but  it  seems  to 
me  that  you  would  be  more  useful  at  the  head  of  a  party 
of  your  own  men." 

"  Perhaps  I  might,"  replied  Grascoyne  ;  "  but  the  coral 
reefs  are  dangerous  on  the  north  side  of  the  island,  and  it 
is  important  that  one  well  acquainted  with  them  should 
guide  your  vessel.  Besides,  I  have  a  trusty  mate,  and  if 
you  will  permit  me  to  send  my  old  shipmate  John  Bumpus 
across  the  hills,  he  will  convey  all  needful  instructions  to 
the  Foam. 

This  was  said  in  so  quiet  and  straightforward  a  ton."*, 
that  Montague's  wrath  vanished.  He  felt  ashamed  of 
having  shown  so  much  petulance  at  a  time  when  affairs  of 
so  great  importance  ought  to  have  been  calmly  discussed ; 
so  he  at  once  agreed  to  allow  Bumpus  to  go.  Meanwhile, 
Henry  Sluart,  who  had  been  fretting  with  impatience  at 
this  conversation,  suddenly  exclaimed  : 

"It  seems  to  me,  sirs,  that  you  are  wasting  precious 
time  just  now.  I,  at  least,  am  quite  satisfied  with  the 
duty  assigned  to  me ;  so  I'm  off:  ho  !  who  will  join 
me?" 

"  I'm  your  man,"  cried  Corrie,  starting  up  and  flourish- 
ing the  broken  sabre  above  his  head.  At  the  same  mo- 
ment about  a  hundred  natives  ranged  themselves  round 
the  youth,  thus  indicating  that  they,  too,  were  his  men. 

"  Weil,  lad,  away  you  go,"  said  Gascoyne,  smiling ;  "  but 
Master  Corrie  must  remain  with  me." 

"  I'll  do  nothing  of  the  sort,"  said  Con-ie,  stoutly. 

"  Oh  yes  you  will,  my  boy.  I  want  you  to  guide  my 
man  Bumpus  over  the  mountains.  You  know  the  passes, 
7 


98  GASCOYNE, 

and  he  don't.  If  s  all  for  the  good  of  the  cause,  you  know^ 
—  the  savmg  of  little  Alice." 

Corrie  wavered.  The  idea  of  being  appointed,  as  it 
were,  to  a  separate  command,  and  of  going  with  his  new 
friend,  was  a  strong  temptation,  and  the  assurance  that  he 
would  in  some  way  or  other  be  advancing  the  business  in 
hand  settled  the  matter.  He  consented  to  become  obedient. 

In  about  half  an  hour  all  Gascoyne's  plans  were  in 
course  of  being  carried  out.  Ole  Thorwald  and  his  party 
proceeded  on  board  the  Talisman,  which  weighed  anchor, 
and  sailed,  with  a  light  breeze,  towards  the  north  end  of 
the  island — guided  through  the  dangerous  reefs  by  Gas- 
coyne.  Henry  and  his  followers  were  toiling  nimbly  up 
the  hills  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the  little  footprints 
of  Alice ;  and  John  Bumpus,  proceeding  into  the  moun- 
tains in  another  direction,  pushed,  under  the  guidance  of 
Corrie,  towards  the  bay,  where  the  Foam  still  lay  quietly 
at  anchor. 

It  was  evening  when  these  different  parties  set  out  on 
their  various  expeditions.  The  sun  was  descending  to  the 
horizon  in  a  blaze  of  lurid  light.  The  slight  breeze,  which 
wafted  his  Britannic  Majesty's  ship  slowly  along  the  ver- 
dant shore,  was  scarcely  strong  enough  to  ruffle  the  sur- 
face of  the  sea.  Huge  banks  of  dark  clouds  were  gather- 
ing in  the  sky,  and  a  hot,  unnatural  closeness  seemed  to 
pervade  the  atmosphere,  as  if  a  storm  were  about  to  burst 
upon  the  scene.  Everything,  above  and  below,  seemed 
to  presage  war  —  alike  elemental  and  human  ;  and  the 
various  leaders  of  the  several  expeditions  felt  that  the  ap- 
proaching night  would  tax  their  powers  and  resources  to 
the  uttermost. 

It  was,  then,  natural  that  in  such  circumstances  the  be- 
reaved father  should  be  distracted  v/ilh  auxiely  as  to  which 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  99 

party  he  should  join ;  and  it  was  also  natural  that  one 
whose  life  had  been  so  long  devoted  to  the  special  service 
of  God  should,  before  deciding  on  the  point,  ask,  on  his 
knees,  his  heavenly  Father's  guidance. 

He  finally  resolved  to  accompany  the  party  under  com- 
mand of  Henry  StuarL 


CHAPTER  A. 

THE  PURSUIT  — POOPY,  LED  ON  BY  LOVE  ^ND  HATS, 

BUSHES  TO  THE  EESCUE. 

The  shades  of  night  had  begun  to  descend  upon  the 
island  when  Master  Corrie  reached  the  summit  of  the 
mountain  ridge  that  divided  the  bay  in  which  the  Foam 
was  anchored  from  the  settlement  of  Sandy  Cove. 

Close  on  his  heels  followed  the  indomitable  Jo  Bumpus, 
who  panted  vehemently  and  perspired  profusely  from  his 
unwonted  exertions. 

"  Wot  an  object  you  are  ! "  exclaimed  Corrie,  gazing  at 
the  hot  giant  with  a  look  of  mingled  surprise  and  glee ; 
for  the  boy's  spirit  was  of  that  nature  which  cannot  re- 
press a  dash  of  fun,  even  in  the  midst  of  anxiety  and  sor- 
row. "We  would  not  have  it  understood  that  the  boy  ever 
deliberately  mingled  the  two  things — joy  and  sorrow  — 
at  one  and  the  same  time  ;  but  he  was  so  irresistibly  alive 
to  the  ludicrous,  that  a  touch  of  it  was  sufficient  at  any 
time  to  cause  him  to  forget,  for  a  brief  space,  his  anxieties, 
whatever  these  might  be. 

Jo  Bumpus  smiled  benignantly,  and  said  that  he  "  was 
glad  to  hear  it."  For  Jo  had  conceived  for  the  boy  that 
species  of  fondness  which  large  dogs  are  frequently  known 
to  entertain  for  small  ones  —  permitting  tiiem  to  take  out- 
rageous liberties  with  their  persons  which  they  would 
resent  furiously  were  they  attempted  by  other  dogs. 


THE  SAITDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  10^  , 

Presently  the  warm  vi^age  of  Bumpus  elongated,  and 
his  ejes  opened  uncommonly  wide,  as  he  stared  at  a  par- 
ticular spot  in  the  ground;  insomuch  that  Corrie  burst 
into  an  uncontrollable  fit  of  laughter.  ' 

"  O  Grampus !  you'll  kill  me  if  you  go  on  like  that,** 
said  he;  "I  can't  stand  it, — indeed  I  can't.  Sich  a  face! 
D'ye  know  what  it's  like  ?  " 

Jo  expressed  no  desire  to  become  enlightened  on  this 
point,  but  continued  to  gaze  so  earnestly  that  Corrie  started 
up  and  exclaimed : 

«\Yhat  is  it,  Jo?" 

«  A  fut,"  repUed  Jo. 

"  A  footprint,  I  declare ! "  shouted  the  boy,  springing 
forward  and  examining  the  print,  which  was  pretty  clearly 
defined  in  a  little  patch  of  soft  sand  that  lay  on  the  bare 
rock.  "  Why,  Jo  !  it's  Poopy's.  I'd  know  it  anywhere,  by 
the  bigness  of  the  little  toe.  How  can  she  have  come  up 
here  ?  " 

"  I  say,  lad,  hist !  "  said  Bumpus,  in  a  hoarse  whisper ; 
"here's  another  fut  that  don't  belong  to  —  what's  her 
name,  —  Puppy,  did  ye  say  ?  " 

"  Why  !  it's  Alice's,"  whispered  the  boy,  his  face  becom- 
ing instantly  grave,  while  an  unwonted  expression  of  anx- 
iety crossed  it ;  "  and  here's  that  of  a  savage  beside  it.  He 
must  have  changed  his  intention  ;  or,  perhaps,  he  came  this 
way  to  throw  the  people  who  were  chasing  them  off  the 
scent." 

Corrie  was  right.  Finding  that  he  was  hotly  pursued, 
Keona  had  taken  advantage  of  the  first  rocky  ground  he 
reached  to  diverge  abruptly  from  the  rout  he  had  hitherto 
followed  in  his  flight ;  and,  the  further  to  confuse  his  pur- 
suers, he  had  taken  the  almost  exhausted  child  up  in  his 
arms  and  carried  her  a  considerable  distance,  so  that  if  Ida 


^02  GASCOYXE, 

enemies  should  fall  again  on  his  track  the  absence  of  the 
little  footprints  might  induce  them  to  fancy  thej  were  fol- 
lowing up  a  wrong  scent. 

In  this  he  was  so  far  successful ;  for  the  native  settlers, 
as  we  have  seen,  soon  gave  up  the  chase,  and  returned 
with  one  of  the  child's  shoes,  which  had  fallen  off  unob- 
served by  the  savage. 

But  there  was  one  of  the  pursuers  who  was  far  ahead 
of  the  others,  and  who  was  urged  to  continue  the  chase  by 
the  strongest  of  all  motives,  —  love.  Poor  Kekupoopi  had 
no  sooner  heard  of  the  abduction  of  her  young  mistress 
than  she  had  set  off  at  the  top  of  her  speed  to  a  well- 
known  height  in  the  mountains,  whence,  from  a  great  dis- 
tance, she  could  observe  all  that  went  on  below.  On  the 
wings  of  affection  she  had  flown,  rather  than  walked,  to 
this  point  of  observation,  and,  to  her  delight,  saw  not  only 
the  pursuers,  but  the  fugitives  in  the  valley  below.  She 
kept  her  glowing  eyes  fixed  on  them,  hastening  from  rock 
to  rock  and  ridge  to  ridge,  as  intervening  obstacles  hid 
them  from  view,  until  she  saw  the  stratagem,  just  referred 
to,  practised  by  Keona.  Then,  feeling  that  she  had  no 
power  of  voice  to  let  the  pursuers  know  what  had  occurred, 
and  seeing  that  they  would  certainly  turn  back  on  being 
baffled,  she  resolved  to  keep  up  the  chase  herself — trust- 
ing to  accident  to  afford  her  an  opportunity  of  rendering 
aid  to  Alice  ;  or,  rather,  trusting  to  God  to  help  her  in 
her  great  difficulty  ;  for  the  poor  child  had  been  well  trained 
in  the  missionary's  house,  and  love  had  been  the  teacher. 

Taking  a  short  cut  down  into  the  valley,  — for  she  was 
well  acquainted  with  all  the  wild  and  rugged  paths  of  the 
mountains  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  settle- 
ment,—  she  was  so  fortunate  as  to  reach  a  narrow  pass 
through  which  Keona  and  Alice  must  needs  go.    Arriving 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  103 

there  a  short  time  before  they  did,  she  was  able  to  take  a 
few  minutes'  rest  before  resuming  the  chase. 

Little  did  the  wily  savage  think  that  a  pair  of  eyes  a3 
dark  and  bright,  though  not  so  fierce,  as  his  own,  were 
gazing  at  him  from  behind  the  bushes  as  he  sped  up  that 
narrow  gorge. 

Poor  Alice  was  running  and  stumbling  by  his  side  ;  for 
the  monster  held  her  by  the  hand  and  dragged  her  along, 
although  she  was  scarcely  able  to  stand.  The  heart  of  the 
black  girl  well-nigh  burst  M'ith  anger  -when  she  observed 
that  both  her  shoes  and  stockings  had  been  torn  off  in  the 
hasty  flight,  and  that  her  tender  feet  were  cut  and  bleed- 
ing. 

Just  as  they  reached  the  spot  near  which  Poopy  waa 
concealed,  the  child,  sank  with  a  low  wail,  to  the  ground, 
unable  to  advance  another  step.  Keona  seized  her  in  his 
arms,  and,  uttering  a  growl  of  anger  as  he  threw  her 
rudely  over  his  shoulder,  bore  her  swiftly  away. 

But,  quick  though  his  step  was,  it  could  not  outrun  that 
of  the  poor  little  dark  maiden  who  followed  him  like  his 
shadow,  carefully  keeping  out  of  view,  however,  while  her 
mind  was  busy  with  plans  for  the  deliverance  of  her  young 
mistress.  The  more  she  thought,  the  more  she  felt  how 
utterly  hopeless  would  be  any  attempt  that  she  could  make, 
either  by  force  or  stratagem,  to  pluck  her  from  the  grasp 
of  one  so  strong  and  subtle  as  Keona.  At  length  she  re- 
solved to  give  up  thinking  of  plans  altogether,  and  take  to 
prayer  instead. 

On  reaching  the  highest  ridge  of  the  mountains,  Keona 
suddenly  stopped,  placed  Alice  on  a  flat  rock,  and  went  to 
the  top  of  a  peak  not  more  than  fifty  yards  off.  Here  he 
lay  down  and  gazed  long  and  earnestly  over  the  country 
through  which  they  had  just  passed,  evidently  for  the  pur- 


104  GASCOTNE, 

pose  of  discoTering,  if  possible,  the  position  and  motiong 
of  Lis  enemies. 

Poopy,  whose  wits  were  sharpened  by  love,  at  once  took 
advantage  of  her  opportunity.  She  crept  on  all  fours 
towards  the  rock  on  which  Alice  lay,  in  such  a  manner 
that  it  came  between  her  person  and  the  savage. 

"  Missy  Alice  !  O,  Missy  Alice !  quick  !  look  up  !  it's 
me  —  Poopy,"  said  the  girl,  raising  her  head  cautiously 
above  the  edge  of  the  rock. 

Alice  started  up  on  one  elbow,  and  was  about  to  utter  a 
scream  of  delight  and  surprise,  when  her  sable  friend  laid 
her  black  paw  suddenly  on  the  child's  pretty  mouth,  and 
effectually  shut  it  up. 

"  Hush  I  Alice  ;  no  cry.  Savage  hear  and  come  back 
—  kill  Poopy  bery  much  quick.  Listen.  Me  all  alone. 
You  bery  clibber.  Diy  up  eyes,  no  cry  any  more.  Look 
happy.  God  will  save  you.  Poopy  nebber  leave  you  as 
long  as  got  her  body  in  her  soul." 

Just  at  this  point,  Keona  rose  from  his  recumbent  posi- 
tion, and  the  girl,  who  had  not  suffered  her  eyes  to  move 
from  him  for  a  single  instant,  at  once  sunk  beliind  the 
rock  and  crept  so  silently  away  that  Alice  could  scarcely 
persuade  herself  that  she  had  not  been  dreaming. 

The  savage  returned,  took  the  child's  hand,  led  her  over 
the  brow  of  the  mountain,  and  began  to  descend,  by  a 
steep,  rugged  path,  to  the  valleys  lying  on  the  other  side  of 
the  island.  But  before  going  a  hundred  yards  down  the 
dark  gorge  —  which  was  rendered  all  the  darker  by  the 
approach  of  night  —  he  turned  abruptly  aside,  entered 
the  mouth  of  a  cavern,  and  disappeared. 

Poopy  was  horrified  at  this  unexpected  and  sudden 
change  in  the  state  of  things.  For  a  long  time  she  lay 
closely  hid  among  the  rocks,  within  twenty  yards  of  the 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  105 

cave's  mouth,  expecting  every  moment  to  see  the  fugitives 
issue  from  its  dark  recesses.  But  they  did  not  reappear. 
All  at  once  it  occurred  to  the  girl  that  there  might  pos- 
sibly be  an  exit  from  the  cavern  at  the  other  end  of  it,  and 
that,  while  she  was  idly  waiting  there,  her  little  mistress 
and  her  savage  captor  might  be  hastening  down  the  moun- 
tain far  beyond  her  reach. 

Rendered  desperate  by  this  idea,  she  quitted  her  place 
of  concealment,  and  ran  recklessly  into  the  cavern.  But 
the  place  was  dark  as  Erebus,  and  the  ground  was  so 
rugged  that  she  tripped  and  fell  before  she  had  advanced 
into  it  more  than  fifty  yards. 

Bruised  by  the  fall,  and  overawed  by  the  gloom  of  her 
situation,  the  poor  girl  lay  still  for  some  time  where  she 
had  fallen,  with  bated  breath,  and  listening  intently  ;  but 
no  sound  struck  her  ear  save  the  beating  of  her  own 
heart,  which  appeared  to  her  unnaturally  loud.  Under  an 
impulse  of  terror,  she  rose,  and  ran  back  into  the  open 
air. 

Here  it  occurred  to  her  that  she  might  perhaps  find  the 
other  outlet  to  the  cave,  —  supposing  that  one  really  ex- 
isted, —  by  going  round  the  hill  and  carefully  examining 
the  ground  on  the  other  side.  This,  however,  was  a 
matter  requiring  considerable  time,  and  it  was  not  until  a 
full  hour  had  expired  that  she  returned  to  the  mouth  of 
the  cave,  and  sat  down  to  rest  and  consider  what  should 
be  done  next. 

To  enter  the  dark  recesses  of  the  place  v/ithout  a  light 
she  knew  would  be  impossible  as  well  as  useless,  and  she 
had  no  means  of  procuring  a  light.  Besides,  even  if  she 
had,  what  good  could  come  of  her  exploration  ?  The  next 
impulse  was  to  hasten  back  to  the  settlement  at  full  speed 
and  guide  a  party  to  the  place ;  but,  was  it  likely  that  the 


106  •  GASCOTJ^E. 

savage  would  remain  long  in  the  cave  ?  This  queston 
suggested  her  former  idea  of  the  possible  existence  of 
another  outlet ;  and  as  she  thought  upon  Alice  being  now 
utterly  beyond  her  reach,  she  covered  her  face  with  her 
hands  and  burst  into  tears.  After  a  short  time  she  began 
to  pray.  Then,  as  the  minutes  flew  past,  and  her  hopes 
bank  lower  and  lower,  she  commenced  —  like  many  a 
child  of  Adam  who  thinks  himself  considerably  wiser  than 
a  black  girl  —  to  murmur  at  her  hard  lot.  This  she  did 
in  an  audible  voice,  having  become  forgetful  of,  as  well  as 
indifferent  to,  the  chance  of  discovery. 

"  Oh  !  w'at  for  was  me  born  ?  "  she  inquired,  somewhat 
viciously ;  and  not  being  able,  apparently,  to  answer  this 
question,  she  proceeded  to  comment  in  a  wildly  sarcastic 
tone  on  the  impropriety  of  her  having  been  brought  into 
existence  at  all. 

"  Me  should  be  dead.  Wat's  de  use  o'  life  w'en  ums 
nothin'  to  live  for  ?  Alice  gone !  Darling  Alice  I  Oh 
dear !  Me  wish  I  wasn't  never  had  been  born  ;  yes  me 
do  !  Don't  care  for  meself  I  Wouldn't  give  nuffin  for  me- 
self!  Only  fit  to  tend  Missy  Alice!  Not  fit  for  nuffin 
else.  And  now  Alice  gone  —  whar'  to'  nobody  nose  an'  no- 
body care,  'xcept  Poopy,  who's  not  worth  a  brass  button !  '* 

Having  given  utterance  to  this  last  expression,  which 
she  had  acquired  from  her  friend  Corrie,  the  poor  girl  be- 
gan to  howl  in  order  to  relieve  her  insupportable  feelings. 

It  was  at  this  point  in  our  story  that  Master  Corrie, 
and  his  companion  the  Grampus,  having  traced  the  before- 
mentioned  footprints  for  a  considerable  distance,  became 
cognizant  of  sundry  unearthly  sounds,  on  hearing  which, 
never  having  heard  anything  like  them  before,  these  wan- 
derers stood  still  in  attitudes  of  breathless  attention,  and 
gazed  at  each  other  with  looks  of  indescribable  amazement, 
not  allo^reUicr  unmixed  with  a  dash  of  consternation. 


CHAPTER  XL 

k  BH08T— A   TERRIBLE   COBIBAT  ENDING    IN  A  DREADFUL 
PLUNGE. 

*  CoRRiE,"  said  Jo  Bumpus,  solemnly,  with  a  troubled 
er-  oression  on  his  grave  face,  "  I've  heer'd  a  many  a  cry 
ii?  this  life,  both  ashore  and  afloat ;  but,  since  I  was  half 
as  long  as  a  marlinespike,  I've  never  heerd  the  likes  o' 
tliat  there  screech  nowhere." 

At  any  otlier  time  the  boy  would  have  expressed  a 
doubt  as  to  the  possibility  of  the  Grampus  having,  at  any 
period  of  his  existence,  been  so  short  as  "  half  the  length 
of  a  marlinespike  ; "  but,  being  very  imaginative  by  na- 
ture, and  having  been  encouraged  to  believe  in  ghosts  by 
education,  he  was  too  frightened  to  be  funny.  With  a 
face  that  might  very  well  have  passed  for  that  of  a  ghost, 
and  a  very  pa'e  ghost  too,  he  said,  in  a  tremulous  voice: 

"  Oh  dear !  Bumpus  ;  what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"Dun  know,"  replied  Jo,  very  sternly  ;  for  the  stout 
mariner  also  believed  in  ghosts,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
although  he  would  not  admit  it ;  and,  being  a  man  of 
iron  mould  and  powerful  will,  there  was  at  that  moment 
going  on  within  his  capacious  breast  a  terrific  struggle 
between  natural  courage  and  supernatural  cowardice. 

"  Let's  go  back,"  whispered  Corrie.  "  I  know  another 
pass  over  the  hills.  It's  a  longer  one,  to  be  sure ;  but  we 
car  run,  you  know,  to  make  for  — " 


108  GASCOTNE, 

He  was  struck  dumb  and  motionless  at  this  point  by  tlie 
recurrence  of  the  dreadful  howling,  louder  than  ever,  as 
poor  Poopy's  despair  deepened. 

"  Don't  speak  to  me,  boy,"  said  Bumpus,  still  more 
sternly,  wliile  a  cold  sweat  stood  in  large  beads  on  his 
pale  forehead.  "  Here's  wot  I  calls  somethin'  new  ;  an'  it 
becomes  a  man,  specially  a  British  seamen,  d'ye  see,  to 
inquire  into  new  things  in  a  reasonable  sort  of  way." 

Jo  caught  his  breath,  and  clutched  the  rock  beside  him 
powerfully,  as  he  continued : 

"  It  aint  a  ghost,  in  course ;  it  canH  be  that.  Cause 
why  ?  there's  no  sich  a  thing  as  a  ghost." 

"  Aint  there  ?  "  whispered  Corrie,  hopefully 

The  hideous  yell  that  Poopy  here  set  up  seemed  to  give 
the  lie  direct  to  the  sceptical  seaman  ;  but  he  went  on 
deliberately,  though  with  a  glazed  eye  and  a  death-like 
pallor  on  his  face  — 

"  No  ;  there  aint  no  ghosts,  —  never  wos,  an'  never  will 
be.  All  ghosts  is  sciencrific  delusions,  nothing  more  ;  and 
it's  only  the  hignorant  an'  supercilious  as  b'lieves  in  'em. 
/don't ;  an',  wots  more,"  added  Jo,  with  tremendous  decis- 
ion, "  I  wont  !  " 

At  this  point,  the  "  sciencrific  dolusion  "  recurred  to  her 
former  idea  of  alarming  the  settlement ;  and  with  this 
view  began  to  retrace  her  steps,  howling  as  she  went. 

Of  course,  as  Jo  and  his  small  companion  had  been 
guided  by  her  footsteps,  it  followed  that  Poopy,  in  retrac- 
ing them,  gradually  drew  near  to  the  terrified  pair.  The 
sliort  twilight  of  those  regions  had  already  deepened  into 
the  shades  of  night ;  so  that  the  poor  girl's  form  was  not 
at  first  visible,  as  she  advanced  from  among  the  dark 
shadows  of  the  overhanging  cliffs  and  the  large  masses  of 
scattered  rock  that  lay  strewn  about  that  wild  mountain 
pass. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  109 

Now,  although  John  Bumpus  succeeded,  by  an  almost 
Bupernatural  effort,  in  calming  the  tumultuous  agitation  of 
his  spirit,  while  the  wild  cries  of  the  girl  were  at  some 
distance,  he  found  himself  utterly  bereft  of  speech  when 
the  dreadful  sounds  unmistakably  approached  him.  Cor- 
rie,  too,  became  livid,  and  both  were  rooted  to  the  spot  in 
unutterable  horror ;  but  when  the  ghost  at  length  actually 
came  into  view,  and  (owing  to  Poopy's  body  being  dark, 
and  her  garments  white)  presented  the  appearance  of  a 
dimly  luminous  creature,  without  head,  arms,  or  legs,  the 
last  spark  of  endurance  in  man  and  boy  went  out.  The 
one  gave  a  roar,  the  other  a  shriek  of  terror,  and  both 
turned  and  fled  like  the  wind  over  a  stretch  of  country, 
which,  in  happier  circumstances,  they  would  have  crossed 
with  caution. 

Poopy  helped  to  accelerate  their  flight  by  giving  veat 
to  a  cry  of  fear,  and  thereafter  to  a  yell  of  delight,  as,  from 
her  point  of  view,  she  recognized  the  well-known  outline 
of  Corrie's  figure  clearly  defined  against  the  sky.  She 
ran  after  them  in  frantic  haste ;  but  she  might  as  well  have 
chased  a  couple  of  wildcats.  Either  terror  is  gifted  with 
better  wings  than  hope,  or  males  are  better  runners  than 
females.  Perhaps  both  propositions  are  true  ;  but  certain 
it  is  that  Poopy  soon  began  to  perceive  that  the  succor 
which  had  appeared  so  suddenly  was  about  to  vanish  al- 
most as  quickly. 

In  this  new  dilemma,  the  girl  once  more  availed  herself 
of  her  slight  knowledge  of  the  place,  and  made  a  detour 
which  enabled  her  to  shoot  ahead  of  the  fugitives  and  in- 
tercept them  in  one  of  the  narrowest  parts  of  the  mountain 
gorge.  Here,  instead  of  using  her  natural  voice,  she  con- 
ceived that  the  likeliest  way  of  making  her  terrified  friends 
understand  who  she  was,  would  be  to  ^^hout  with  all  the 


110  GASCOYNE, 

strength  of  her  lungs.  Accordingly,  she  planted  herself 
suddenly  in  the  center  of  then*  path,  just  as  the  two  came 
tearing  blindly  round  a  corner  of  rock,  and  set  up  a  se- 
ries of  yells,  the  nature  of  which  utterly  beggars  descrii)- 
tion. 

The  result  was,  that,  with  one  short  wild  cry  of  renewed 
horror,  Bumpus  and  Corrie  turned  sharp  round  and  fled 
in  the  opposite  direction. 

There  is  no  doubt  whatever  that  they  would  have  suc- 
ceeded in  ultimately  escaping  from  this  pertinacious  ghost, 
and  poor  Poopy  would  have  had  to  make  the  best  of  her 
way  to  Sandy  Cove  alone,  but  for  the  fortunate  circum- 
stance that  Corrie  fell ;  and  being  only  a  couple  of  paces 
in  advance  of  his  companion,  Bumpus  fell  over  him. 

The  ghost  took  advantage  of  this  to  run  forward,  crying 
out,  "  Corrie  !  Corrie  !  Corrie  !  —  it's  me  !  me  I  ME  I " 
with  aU  her  might. 

"  Eh !  I  do  believe  it  knows  my  name ! "  cried  the  boy, 
scrambling  to  his  feet,  and  preparing  to  renew  his  flight ; 
but  Bumpus  laid  his  heavy  hand  on  his  collar,  and  held 
him  fast. 

"Wot!     Did  it  speak?" 

"  Yes  ;  hsten  !     Oh  dear !     Come,  —  fly !  " 

Instead  of  flying,  the  seamen  heaved  a  deep  sigh  ;  and, 
sitting  down  on  a  rock,  took  out  a  reddish  brown  cotton 
handkerchief,  wherewith  he  wiped  his  forehead. 

"  My  boy,"  said  he,  still  panting ;  "  it  aint  a  ghost.  No 
ghost  wos  ever  known  to  speak.  They  looks,  an'  they 
runs,  an'  they  yells,  an'  they  vanishes,  but  they  never 
speaks  ;  d'ye  see  ?  I  told  ye  it  was  a  sciencrific  delusion  ; 
though,  I'm  bound  for  to  confess,  I  m^ver  heerd  o'  von  o' 
them  critters  ?peakin',  no  more  than  the  ghosts.  How* 
eomedever,  that's  wot  it  is." 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  lU 

Corrie,  who  still  hesitated,  and  held  himself  in  readiness 
to  bolt  at  a  moment's  notice,  suddenly  cried : 

"  Why  !  I  do  believe  it's No ;  it  can't  be  — yes  —  I 

say,  it's  Poopy  !  " 

"  Wot's  Poopy  ? "  inquired  the  seaman,  in  some  anxiety. 

"  What !  don't  you  know  Poopy,  Alice's  black  maid, 
who  keeps  her  company,  and  looks  after  her;  besides 
'  doin'  her,  and  *  undoin'  her  (as  she  calls  it),  night  and 
morning,  and  putting  her  to  bed  ?  Hooray  !  Poopy, 
my  lovely  black  darling;  where  have  you  come  from? 
You've  frightened  Bumpus  liere  nearly  out  of  his  wits. 
I  do  believe  he'd  have  bin  dead  by  this  time,  but  for 
me!" 

So  saying,  Corrie,  in  the  revulsion  of  his  suddenly  re- 
lieved feelings,  actually  threw  his  arms  round  Poopy,  and 
hugged  her. 

"  O  Corrie ! "  exclaimed  the  girl,  submitting  to  the  em- 
brace with  as  much  indifference  as  if  she  had  been  a  lamp- 
post, "  w'at  troble  you  hab  give  me !  Why  you  run  so  ? 
sure,  you  know  me  voice." 

"  Know  it,  my  sweet  lump  of  charcoal ;  I'd  know  it 
among  a  thousand,  if  ye'd  only  use  it  in  its  own  pretty 
natural  tones ;  but  if  you  will  go  and  screech  like  a  bottle- 
imp,  you  know,"  said  Corrie,  remonstratively,  "  how  can 
you  expect  a  stupid  feller  like  me  to  recognize  it  ?  " 

"  There  aint  no  sich  things  as  bottle-imps,  no  more  nor 
ghosts,"  observed  Bumpus ;  "  but  hold  your  noise,  you 
chatter-box,  and  let's  hear  wot  the  gal's  got  to  say.  May- 
hap she  knows  summat  about  Alice  ?  " 

At  this,  Poopy  manufactured  an  expression  on  het 
sable  countenance  which  was  meant  to  be  intensely  know ' 
ing  and  suggestive. 

'••  Don't  I  ?     Yes,  me  do,"  said  she. 


112  GASCOYNE, 

"  Out  With  it,  then,  at  once,  you  pot  of  shoe-blacking,' 
cried  the  impatient  Corrie. 

The  girl  immediately  related  all  that  she  knew  regarding 
the  fugitives,  stammering  very  much  from  sheer  anxiety 
to  get  it  all  out  as  fast  as  she  could,  and  delaying  her  com- 
munication very  much  in  consequence,  besides  rendering 
her  meaning  rather  obscure  —  sometimes  unintelligible. 
Indeed,  the  worthy  seamen  could  scarcely  understand  a 
word  she  said.  He  sat  staring  at  the  whites  of  her  eyes, 
which,  with  her  teeth,  were  the  only  visible  parts  of  her 
countenance  at  that  moment,  and  swayed  his  body  to  and 
fro,  as  if  endeavoring  by  a  mechanical  effort  to  arrive  at  a 
philosophical  conception  of  something  exceedingly  abstruse. 
But  at  the  end  of  each  period  he  turned  to  Corrie  for  a 
translation. 

At  length  both  man  and  boy  became  aware  of  the  state 
of  things,  and  Corrie  started  up,  crying  : 

"  Let's  go  into  the  cave  at  once." 

"  Hold  on,  boy,"  cried  Bumpus !  "  not  quite  so  fast  (as 
the  monkey  said  to  the  barrel-organ  w'en  it  took  to  playin' 
Scotch  reels).  We  must  have  a  council  of  war ;  d'ye  see  ? 
The  black  monster  Keona  may  have  gone  right  through 
the  cave  and  comed  out  at  t'other  end  of  it,  in  w'ich  case 
it's  all  up  with  our  chance  o'  finding  'em  to-night.  But  if 
they've  gone  in  to  spend  the  night  there,  why  we've  nothin' 
to  do  but  watch  at  the  mouth  of  it  till  mornin'  an'  nab  'em 
as  they  comes  out." 

"  Yes  ;  but  how  are  we  to  know  whether  they're  in  the 
cave  or  not  ?  "  said  Corrie,  impatiently, 

"  Ah  !  that's  the  puzzler,"  replied  Bumpus,  in  a  medi- 
tative way ;  "  but,  of  course,  we  must  look  out  for  puzzlers 
ahead  sometimes  w'en  we  gets  into  a  land  storm,  d'ye  see ; 
just  as  we  looks  out  ahead  for  breakers  in  a  storm  at  sea 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TKADER.  113 

Suppose  now  that  I  creeps  into  the  cave  and  listens  fof 
'em.     Tliey'd  never  hear  me,  'cause  I'd  make  no  noise." 

"  You  might  as  well  try  to  sail  into  it  in  a  big  ship 
without  making  noise,  you  Grampus." 

To  this  the  Grampus  observed,  that  if  the  cave  had  only 
three  fathoms  of  water  in  the  bottom  of  it  he  would  have 
no  objections  whatever  to  try. 

"  But,"  added  he,  "  suppose  you  go  in." 

Corrie  shook  his  head,  and  looked  anxiously  miserable. 

"Well,  then,"  said  Bumpus,  "suppose  we  light  two 
torches.  I'll  take  one  in  one  hand,  and  this  here  cutlash 
in  the  other;  and  you'll  take  t'other  torch  in  one  hand 
and  your  pistol  in  the  other,  and  clap  that  bit  of  a  broken 
sword  'tween  yer  teeth,  and  we'll  give  a  'orrid  screech, 
and  rush  in,  pell-mell  —  all  of  a  heap  like.  You  could  fire 
yer  pistol  straight  before  you  on  chance  (it's  wonderful 
wot  a  chance  shot  will  do  sometimes)  ;  an'  if  it  don't  do 
nothin',  fling  it  right  into  the  blackguard's  face :  a  brass- 
mounted  tool  like  that  ketchin'  him  right  on  the  end  of 
his  peak  would  lay  him  flat  over,  like  a  ship  in  a  white 
squall." 

"  And  suppose,"  said  Corrie,  in  a  tone  of  withering 
sarcasm, —  "suppose  all  this  happened  to  Alice,  instead 
of  the  dirty  nigger  ?  " 

"  Ah !  to  be  sure.  That's  a  puzzler,  —  puzzler  number 
two." 

Here  Poopy,  who  had  listened  with  great  impatience  to 
the  foregoing  conversation,  broke  in  energetically. 

"An'  s'pose,"  said  she,  "dat  Keona  and  Missy  Alice 
comes  out  ob  cave  w'en  you  two  be  talkerin'  sich  a  lot  of 
stuff?" 

It  may  as  well  be  remarked,  in  passing,  that  Poopy 
had  acquired  a  corfeiderable  amount  of  her  knowledge  of 
8 


114  GASCOYXE, 

English  from  Master  Corrie.  Her  remark,  although  not 
politely  made,  was  sufiicientlj  striking  to  cause  Bumpus 
to  start  up,  and  exclaim: 

"  That's  true,  gal.  Come,  show  us  the  way  to  this  here 
cave." 

There  was  a  fourth  individual  present  at  this  council  of 
war  who  apparently  felt  a  deep  interest  in  its  results,  al- 
though he  took  no  part  in  its  proceedings.  This  Avas  no 
other  than  Keona  himself,  who  lay  extended  at  full  length 
among  the  rocks,  not  two  yards  from  the  spot  where 
Bumpus  sat,  listening  intently,  and  grinning  from  ear  to 
ear  with  fiendish  malice. 

The  series  of  shrieks,  howls,  and  yells  to  which  refer- 
ence has  been  made  had  naturally  attracted  the  attention 
of  that  wily  savage  when  he  was  in  the  cave.  Following 
the  sounds  with  quick,  noiseless  step,  he  soon  found  him- 
self within  a  few  paces  of  the  dehberating  trio.  The  sav- 
age did  not  make  much  of  the  conversation,  but  he  gath- 
ered sufficient  to  assure  himself  that  his  hiding-place  had 
been  discovered,  and  that  plans  were  being  laid  for  his  cap- 
ture. 

It  w^ouid  have  been  an  easy  matter  for  him  to  have  sud- 
denly leaped  on  the  unsuspecting  Bumpus  and  driven  a 
knife  to  his  heart,  after  which  poor  Corrie  and  the  girl  could 
have  been  easily  dealt  with ;  but  fortunately  (at  least  for 
his  enemies,  if  not  for  himself)  indecision  in  the  moment 
of  action  Avas  one  of  Keona's  bessetting  sins.  He  suspected 
that  other  enemies  might  be  near  at  hand,  and  that  the  noise 
of  the  scuffle  might  draw  them  to  the  spot.  He  observed, 
moreover,  that  the  boy  had  a  pistol,  which,  besides  being  a 
weapon  that  acts  quickly  and  surely,  even  in  weak  hands, 
would  give  a  loud  report  and  a  bright  flash  that  might  be 
heard  and  seen  at  a  great  distance.     Taking  these  things 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.         115 

into  conslieration,  he  thrust  back  the  knife  which  he  had 
half  unsheathed,  and,  retreating  with  the  slow,  gliding  mo-^ 
lion  of  a  serpent,  got  beyond  the  chance  of  being  detected, 
just  as  Bumpus  rose  to  follow  Poopy  to  the  cave. 

The  savage  entered  its  yawning  mouth  in  a  few  seconds, 
and  glided  noiselessly  into  its  dark  recesses  like  an  evil 
spirit.  Soon  after,  the  trio  reached  the  same  spot,  and  stood 
for  some  time  silently  gazing  upon  the  thick  darkness  within. 

A  feeling  of  awe  crept  over  them  as  they  stood  thus,  and 
a  shudder  passed  through  Corrie's  frame  as  he  thought  of 
the  innumerable  ghosts  that  might — probably  did  —  inhabit 
that  dismal  place.  But  the  thought  of  Alice  served  partly 
to  drive  avv^ay  his  fears  and  steel  his  heart.  He  felt  that 
the  presence  of  such  a  sweet  and  innocent  child  must,  some- 
how or  other,  subdue  and  baffle  the  power  of  evil  spirits,  and 
it  was  with  some  show  of  firmness  that  he  said : 

"  Come,  Bumpus,  let's  go  in.  We  are  better  without  a 
torch  ;  it  would  only  show  that  we  were  coming  ;  and  as  they 
don't  expect  us,  the  savage  may  perhaps  kindle  a  light  which 
will  guide  us." 

Bumpus,  who  was  not  restained  by  any  thoughts  of  the 
supposed  power  or  influence  of  the  little  girl,  and  whose 
superstitious  fears  were  again  doing  furious  battle  with  his 
natural  courage,  heaved  a  deep  sigh,  ground  his  teeth  to- 
gether, and  clenched  his  fists. 

Even  in  that  dreadful  hour  the  seaman's  faith  in  his  phys- 
ical invincibility,  and  in  the  terrible  power  of  his  fists,  did 
not  altogether  fail.  Although  he  wore  a  cutlass,  and  had 
used  it  that  day  with  tremendous  effect,  he  did  not  now 
draw  it.  He  preferred  to  engage  supernatural  enemies  v/ith 
the  weapons  that  nature  had  given  him,  and  entered  the 
cave  on  tiptoe  with  slow,  cautious  steps,  his  fists  tightly 
clenched  and  ready  for  instant  action,  yet  thrust  into  the 


116 


GASCOYXE, 


pockets  of  his  coatee  in  a  deceptively  peaceful  wa/,  as  if  he 
meant  to  take  the  ghosts  by  surprise. 

Corrie  followed  him,  also  on  tiptoe,  with  the  broken  sabre 
in  his  right  hand,  and  the  cocked  pistol  in  his  left,  his  fore- 
finger being  on  the  trigger,  and  the  muzzle  pointing  straight 
at  the  small  of  the  seaman's  back,  —  if  one  may  be  permit- 
ted to  talk  of  such  an  enormous  back  having  any  "  small " 
about  it ! 

Poopy  entered  last,  also  on  tiptoe,  trembling  violently, 
holding  on  with  both  hands  to  the  waistband  of  Corrie's 
trousers,  and  only  restrained  from  instant  flight  by  her  anx- 
ieties and  her  strong  love  for  little  Alice. 

Thus,  step  by  step,  with  bated  breath  and  loudly  beating 
hearts,  pausing  often  to  listen,  and  gasping  in  a  subdued  way 
at  times,  the  three  friends  advanced  from  the  gloom  without 
into  the  thick  darkness  within,  until  their  gliding  forms  were 
swallowed  up. 

Now  it  so  happened  that  the  shouts  and  yells  to  which 
we  have  more  than  once  made  reference  in  this  chapter 
attracted  a  band  of  savages  who  had  been  put  to  flight  by 
Henry  Stuart's  party.  These  rascals,  not  knowing  what 
was  the  cause  of  so  much  noise  up  on  the  heights,  and  being 
much  too  well  acquainted  with  the  human  voice  in  all  its 
modifications  to  fancy  that  ghosts  had  anything  to  do  with 
it,  cautiously  ascended  towards  the  cavern,  just  a  few  min- 
utes after  the  disappearance  of  John  Bumpus  and  his  com- 
panions. 

Here  they  sat  down  to  hold  a  palaver.  While  this  was 
going  on,  Keona  carried  Alice  in  his  unwounded  arm  to  the 
other  end  of  the  cave,  and,  making  his  exit  through  a  small 
opening  at  its  inner  extremity,  bore  his  trembling  captive 
to  a  rocky  eminence,  shaped  somewhat  like  a  sugar-loaf,  on 
the  summit  of  whicV  he  placed  her.  So  steep  were  the  sides  . 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  117 

of  this  cone  of  lava,  that  it  seemed  to  Alice  that  she  was  sur- 
rounded by  precipices  over  which  she  must  certainly  tumble 
if  she  dared  to  move. 

Here  Keona  left  her,  having  first,  however,  said,  in  a  low, 
stern  voice : 

"  If  you  moves,  you  dies ! " 

The  poor  child  was  too  much  terrified  to  move,  even  had 
she  dared ;  for  she,  too,  had  heard  the  unaccountable  cries 
of  Poopy,  although,  owing  to  distance  and  the  wild  nature 
of  these  cries,  she  had  failed  to  recognize  the  voice.  When, 
therefore,  her  jailor  left  her  with  this  threat,  she  coiled  her- 
self up  in  the  smallest  possible  space,  and  began  to  sob. 

Meanwhile,  Keona  reentered  the  cavern,  with  a  diabol- 
ical grin  on  his  sable  countenance,  which,  although  it  sa- 
vored more  of  evil  than  of  any  other  quality,  had  in  it, 
nevertheless,  a  strong  dash  of  ferocious  joviality,  as  if  he 
were  aware  that  he  had  got  his  enemies  into  a  trap,  and 
could  amuse  himself  by  playing  with  them  as  a  cat  does 
with  a  mouse. 

Soon  the  savage  began  to  step  cautiously,  partly  because 
of  the  rugged  nature  of  the  ground  and  the  thick  darkness 
that  surrounded  him,  and  partly  in  order  to  avoid  alarming 
the  three  adventurers  who  were  advancing  towards  him 
from  the  other  extremity  of  the  cavern.  In  a  few  minutes 
he  halted ;  for  the  footsteps  and  the  whispering  voices  of  his 
pursuers  became  distinctly  audible  to  him,  although  all  three 
did  their  best  to  make  as  little  noise  as  possible. 

"  Wot  a  'orrid  place  it  is ! "  exclaimed  Bumpus,  in  a 
hoarse,  angry  whisper,  as  he  struck  his  shins  violently,  for  at 
least  the  tenth  time,  against  a  ledge  of  rock.  "  I  do  b'lieve, 
boy,  that  there's  nobody  here,  and  that  we'd  as  well  'bout 
ship  and  steer  back  the  way  we've  comed ;  tho'  it  is  a  'or* 
rible  coast  for  rocks  and  shoals." 


118  GASCOYNE, 

Tc  this,  Corrie,  not  being  in  a  talkative  humor,  made  no 
reply. 

"  D'ye  hear  me,  boy  ?  "  said  Jo,  aloud,  for  he  was  some- 
what shaken  again  by  the  dead  silence  that  followed  the 
close  of  his  remark. 

"  All  right ;  I'm  here  ; "  said  Corrie,  meekly. 

"  Then  why  don't  ye  speak  ?  "  said  Jo,  tartly. 

"  I'd  advise  you  not  to  speak  so  loud,"  retorted  the  hoy. 

"  Is  the  dark  *un  there  ?  "  inquired  Bumpus. 

«  What  d'ye  say  ?  " 

"  The  dark  'un  ;  the  lump  o'  charcoal,  you  know." 

"  Oh !  she's  all  safe,"  replied  Corrie.  "  I  only  hope  she 
won't  haul  the  clothes  right  off  my  body  ;  she  grips  at  my 
waistband  like  a  —  " 

Here  he  was  cut  short  by  Keona,  who  gave  utterance  to 
a  low,  dismal  wail  that  caused  the  blood  and  marrow  of  all 
three  to  freeze  up,  and  their  hearts  for  a  moment  to  leap 
into  their  throats  and  all  but  choke  them. 

"  Poopy's  gone,"  gasped  Corrie,  after  a  few  seconds  had 
elapsed. 

There  was  no  doubt  of  the  fact ;  for,  besides  the  relief 
experienced  by  the  boy,  from  the  relaxing  of  her  grip  on 
his  waistband,  the  moment  the  w^ail  was  heard,  the  sound 
of  the  girl's  footsteps  as  she  flew  back  to  the  entrance  of 
the  cave  was  distinctly  heard. 

Keona  waited  a  minute  or  two  to  ascertain  the  exact  po- 
sition of  his  enemies,  then  he  repeated  the  wail,  and  swelled 
it  gradually  out  into  a  fiendish  yell  that  awoke  all  the  ech- 
oes of  the  place.  At  the  same  time,  guessing  his  aim  as 
well  as  he  could,  he  threw  a  spear  and  discharged  a  shower 
of  stones  at  the  spot  where  he  supposed  they  stood. 

There  is  no  understanding  the  strange  workings  of  the 
human  mind !     The  very  thing  that  most  people  would 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TUADER.         119 

have  expected  to  strike  terror  to  tlie  heart  of  Bumpus  was 
that  which  infused  courage  into  his  soul.  The  frightful 
tones  of  the  savage's  voice  in  such  a  place  did  indeed 
almost  prostrate  the  superstitious  spirit  of  the  seaman  ;  but 
when  he  heard  the  spear  whiz  past  within  an  inch  of  his 
ear,  and  received  a  large  stone  full  on  his  chest,  and  sev- 
eral small  ones  on  other  parts  of  his  person,  that  instant 
his  strength  returned  to  him,  like  that  of  Samson  when 
the  Philistines  attempted  to  fall  upon  him.  His  curiously 
philosophical  mind  at  once  leaped  to  the  conclusion  that, 
although  ghosts  could  yell,  and  look,  and  vanish,  they  could 
not  throw  spears  or  fling  stones,  and  that,  therefore,  the 
man  they  were  in  search  of  was  actually  close  beside 
them. 

Acting  on  this  belief,  with  immense  subtlety  Bumpus 
uttered  a  cry  of  feigned  terror,  and  fled,  followed  by  the 
panting  Corrie,  who  uttered  a  scream  of  real  terror  at 
what  he  supposed  must  be  the  veritable  ghost  of  the  place. 

But  before  he  had  run  fifty  yards,  John  Bumpus  sud- 
denly came  to  a  dead  halt,  seized  Corrie  by  the  collar, 
dragged  him  down  behind  a  rock,  and  laid  his  large  hand 
upon  his  mouth,  as  being  the  shortest  and  easiest  way  of 
securing  silence,  without  the  trouble  of  explanation. 

As  he  had  anticipated,  the  soft  tread  of  the  savage  was 
heard  almost  immediately  after,  as  he  passed  on  in  full 
pursuit.  He  brushed  close  past  the  spot  where  Bumpus 
crouched,  and  received  from  that  able-bodied  seaman  such 
a  blow  on  the  shoulder  of  his  wounded  arm,  as,  had  it  been 
delivered  in  daylight,  would  have  certainly  smashed  his 
shoulder-blade.  As  it  v/as,  it  caused  him  to  stagger,  and 
sent  him  howling  with  pain  to  the  mouth  of  the  cavern, 
whither  he  was  tbllowed  by  the  triumphant  Jo,  n^ho  now 
made  sure  of  catching  him. 


1 20  GASCOTNE, 

But  "  there  is  many  a  slip  'twixt  the  cup  aud  the  lip." 
When  Keona  issued  from  the  cave,  he  was  received  with 
a  shout  by  the  band  of  savages,  who  instantly  recognized 
him  as  their  friend  by  his  voice.  Poor  Poopy  was  already 
in  their  hands,  having  been  seized  and  gagged  when  she 
emerged  before  she  had  time  to  utter  a  cry.  And  now 
they  stood  in  a  semi-circle,  ready  to  receive  all  who  might 
come  forth  into  their  arms,  or  on  their  spear-points,  as  the 
case  might  be. 

Bumpus  came  out  like  an  insane  thunderbolt,  and  Cor- 
rie  like  a  streak  of  lightning.  Instantaneously  the  flash 
of  the  pistol,  accompanied  by  its  report  and  a  deep  growl 
from  Bumpus,  increased  the  resemblance  to  these  meteor- 
ological phenomena,  and  three  savages  lay  stunned  upon 
the  ground. 

"  This  way,  Corrle  !  "  cried  the  excited  seaman,  leaping 
to  a  perpendicular  rock,  against  which  he  placed  his  back, 
and  raised  his  fists  in  a  pugilistic  attitude.  "  Keep  one  or 
two  in  play  with  your  broken  toothpick,  an'  I'll  floor  'em 
one  after  another  as  they  comes  up.  Now,  then,  ye  black 
baboons,  come  on,  —  all  at  once  if  ye  like,  —  an'  Jo  Bum- 
pus '11  show  ye  wot  he's  made  of  I  " 

Not  perceiving  very  clearly,  in  the  dim  light  caused  by 
a  few  stars  that  flickered  among  the  black  and  gathering 
clouds,  the  immense  size  and  power  of  the  man  with 
whom  they  had  to  deal,  the  savages  were  not  slow  to  ac- 
cept this  free  and  generous  invitation  to  "  come  on."  They 
rushed  forward  in  a  body,  intending,  no  doubt,  to  take  the 
man  and  boy  prisoners ;  for  if  they  had  wished  to  slay 
them,  nothing  would  have  been  easier  than  to  have  thrown 
one  or  two  of  their  spears  at  their  defenceless  breasts. 

Bumpus  experienced  a  vague  feeling  that  he  had  now 
a  fair  opportunity  of  testing  and  proving  his  invincibility  j 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.        121 

yet  the  desperate  nature  of  the  case  did  not  induce  him  to 
draw  his  svord.  He  preferred  his  fists,  as  being  superior 
and  much  more  handy  weapons.  He  received  the  first 
two  savages  who  came  within  reach  on  the  knuckles  of  his 
right  and  left  hands,  rendering  them  utterly  insensible, 
and  driving  them  against  the  two  men  immediately  behind 
with  such  tremendous  violence  that  they  also  were  put 
hors  de  combat. 

This  was  just  what  Bumpus  had  intended  and  hoped  for. 
The  sudden  fall  of  so  many  gave  him  time  to  launch  out 
his  great  fists  a  second  time.  They  fell  with  the  weight 
of  sledge  hammers  on  the  faces  of  two  more  of  his  oppo- 
nents, flattening  their  noses,  and  otherwise  disfiguring 
their  features,  besides  stretching  them  on  the  ground.  At 
the  same  time,  Corrie  flung  his  empty  pistol  in  the  face  of 
a  man  who  attempted  to  assault  his  companion  on  the  right 
flank  unawares,  and  laid  him  prone  on  the  earth.  An- 
other savage,  who  made  the  same  effort  on  the  left,  re- 
ceived a  gash  on  the  thigh  from  the  broken  sabre  that  sent 
him  howling  from  the  scene  of  conflict. 

Thus  were  eight  savages  disposed  of  in  about  as  many 
seconds. 

But  there  is  a  limit  to  the  powers  and  iho.  prowess  of 
man.  The  savages,  on  seeing  the  fall  of  so  many  of  their 
companions,  rushed  in  on  Bumpus  before  he  could  recover 
himself  for  another  blow.  That  is  to  say,  the  savages  be- 
hind pushed  forward  those  in  front  whether  they  would  or 
no,  and  falling  en  masse  on  the  unfortunate  pair,  well-nigh 
buried  them  alive  m  black  human  flesh. 

Bumpus's  last  cry  before  being  smothered  was,  "  Down 
with  the  black  varmints  I  "  and  Corrie's  last  shout  was, 
«  Hooray ! " 

Thus  fell  —  despite  the  undignified  manner  of  their  fall 


122  GASCOTNE, 

—  a  couple  of  as  great  heroes  as  were  ever  heard  of  in 
the  annals  of  war  ;  not  excepting  even  those  of  Homer  him* 
self. 

Now,  good  reader,  this  may  be  all  very  well  for  us  to 
describe,  and  for  you  to  read,  but  it  was  a  terrible  thing 
for  Poopy  to  witness.  Being  bound  hand  and  foot,  she  was 
compelled  to  look  on  ;  and,  to  say  truth,  she  did  look  on 
with  uncommon  interest.  When  her  friends  fell,  however, 
she  expressed  her  regrets  and  fears  in  a  subdued  shriek, 
for  which  she  received  a  sounding  slap  on  the  cheek  from 
a  young  savage  who  had  chosen  for  himself  the  compara- 
tively dangerous  post  of  watching  her,  while  his  less 
courageous  friends  were  lighting. 

Strange  to  say,  Poopy  did  not  shed  more  tears  (as  one 
might  have  expected)  on  receiving  such  treatment.  She 
had  been  used  to  that  sort  of  thing,  poor  child.  Before 
coming  to  the  service  of  her  little  mistress,  she  had  been 
brought  up  (it  would  be  more  strictly  correct  to  say  that 
she  had  been  kicked,  and  cuffed,  and  pinched,  and  battered 
up)  by  a  step-mother,  whose  chief  delight  was  to  pull  out 
handfuls  of  her  woolly  hair,  beat  her  nose  flat  (which  was 
adding  insult  to  injury,  for  it  was  too  flat  by  nature),  and 
otherwise  to  maltreat  her.  When,  therefore,  Poopy  received 
the  slap  referred  to,  she  immediately  dried  her  eyes  and 
looked  humble.  But  she  did  not  by  any  means /ec/  hum- 
ble. No ;  a  regard  for  truth  compels  us  to  state  tliat,  on 
this  particular  occasion,  Poopy  acted  Ihe  pan  of  a  hypo- 
crite. If  her  hands  had  been  loose,  and  she  had  possessed 
a  knife  just  then  —  we  are  afraid  to  think  of  the  dreadful 
use  to  which  she  would  have  put  it. 

The  natives  spent  a  considerable  time  in  securely  Ijind- 
ing  their  three  captives,  after  which  tliej  bore  them  into 
the  cavern. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  123 

Here  they  kindled  a  torch,  and  held  a  long  palaver  as  to 
what  was  to  be  done  with  the  prisoners.  Some  counselled 
instant  death,  others  advised  that  they  should  be  kept  as 
hostages. 

The  debate  was  so  long  and  fierce,  that  the  day  had 
begun  to  break  before  it  was  concluded.  It  was  at  length 
arranged  that  they  should  be  conveyed  alive  to  their  vil- 
lage, there  to  be  disposed  of  according  to  the  instructions 
of  theii  chiefs. 

Feeling  that  they  had  already  delayed  too  long,  they 
placed  the  prisoners  on  their  shoulders,  and  bore  them 
swiftly  away. 

Poor  Corrie  and  his  sable  friend  were  easily  carried, 
coiled  up  like  sacks,  each  on  the  shoulders  of  a  stalwart 
savage  ;  but  Bumpus,  who  had  required  eight  men  to  bind 
him,  still  remained  unconvinced  of  his  vincibility.  He 
struggled  so  violently  on  the  shoulders  of  the  four  men 
who  bore  him,  that  Keona,  in  a  fit  of  passion,  tinged  no 
doubt  with  revenge,  hit  him  such  a  blow  on  the  head  with 
the  handle  of  an  axe  as  caused  his  brains  to  sing,  and  a 
host  of  stars  to  dance  before  his  eyes. 

These  stars  were,  however,  purely  imaginary ;  for  at 
that  time  the  dawn  had  extinguished  the  lesser  lights.  Ere 
long,  the  bright  beams  of  the  rising  sun  suffused  the  east- 
ern sky  with  a  golden  glow.  On  passing  the  place  where 
Alice  had  been  left,  a  couple  of  the  party  were  sent  by 
Keona  to  fetch  her.  They  took  the  unnecessary  precau- 
tion of  binding  the  poor  child,  and  speedily  rejoined  their 
comrades  with  her  in  their  arms. 

The  amazement  of  her  friends  on  seeing  Alice  was  only 
equalled  by  her  surprise  on  beholding  them.  But  they 
w^re  not  permitted  to  communicate  with  each  other. 
Presently  the  whole  party  emerged  from  the  wild  moun- 


124  GASCOTNE, 

tain  gorges,  through  which  they  had  been  passing  for 
some  time,  and  proceeded  in  single  file  along  a  narrow 
path  that  skirted  the  precipices  of  the  coast.  The  cliffs 
here  were  nearly  a  hundred  feet  high.  They  descended 
sheer  down  into  deep  water ;  in  some  places  even  over- 
hung the  sea. 

Here  John  Bumpus,  having  recovered  from  the  stunning 
effects  of  the  blow  dealt  him  by  Keona,  renewed  his  strug- 
gles, and  rendered  the  passage  of  the  place  not  only  diffi- 
cult but  dangerous  —  to  himself  as  well  as  to  his  enemies. 
Just  as  they  reached  a  somewhat  open  space  on  the  top  3f 
the  cliffs,  Jo  succeeded,  by  almost  superhuman  exertion,  in 
bursting  his  bonds.  Keona,  foaming  with  rage,  gave  an 
angry  order  to  his  followers,  who  rushed  upon  Bumpus  in 
a  body  as  he  was  endeavoring  to  clear  himself  of  the  cords. 
Although  John  struck  out  manfully,  the  savages  were  too 
quick  for  him.  They  raised  him  suddenly  aloft  in  their 
arms,  and  hurled  him  headlong  over  the  cliff! 

The  horror  of  his  friends  on  witnessing  this  may  easily 
be  imagined  ;  but  every  other  feeling  was  swallowed  up  in 
terror  when  the  savages,  apparently  rendered  bloodthirsty 
by  what  they  had  done,  ran  towards  Alice,  and,  raising 
her  from  the  ground,  hastened  to  the  edge  of  the  cliff, 
evidently  with  the  intention  of  throwing  her  over  also. 

Before  they  had  accomplished  their  fiendish  purpose, 
however,  a  sound  like  thunder  burst  upon  their  ears  and 
arrested  their  steps.  This  was  immediately  followed  by 
another  crash,  and  then  came  a  series  of  single  reports  in 
rapid  succession,  which  were  multiplied  by  the  echoes  of 
the  heights  until  the  whole  region  seemed  to  tremble  with 
the  reverberation. 

At  first  the  natives  seemed  awe-stricken.  Then,  on 
becoming  aware  that  the  sounds  which  originated  al]  this 


BUMPUS    HURLED    OVER    THE    CLIFF. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  125 

tumult  came  from  the  direction  of  their  own  village,  they 
dropped  Alice  on  the  ground,  fled  precipitately  down  the 
rugged  path  that  led  from  the  heights  to  the  valley,  and 
disappeared,  leaving  the  three  captives,  bound  and  help 
ks^  on  the  cliffs. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

DAlVGEBOnS  NAVIGATION  AND  DOUBTFUL  PILOTAGE  —  MONTAtJUB 

IS  HOT,   GASCOYNE   SARCASTIC. 

We  now  turn  to  the  Talisman,  which,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, we  left  making  her  way  slowly  through  the  reefs 
toward  the  northern  end  of  the  island,  under  the  pilotage 
of  Gascoyne. 

The  storm,  which  had  threatened  to  burst  over  the  isl- 
and at  an  earlier  period  of  that  evening,  passed  off  far  to 
the  south.  The  light  breeze  which  had  tempted  Captain 
Montague  to  weigh  anchor  soon  died  away,  and  before 
night  a  profound  calm  brooded  over  the  deep. 

When  the  breeze  fell,  Gascoyne  went  forward,  and, 
seating  himself  on  a  forecastle  caiTonade,  appeared  to  fall 
into  a  deep  reverie.  Montague  paced  the  quarter-deck 
impatiently,  glancing  from  time  to  time  down  the  skylight 
at  the  barometer  which  hung  in  the  cabin,  and  at  the  vane 
which  drooped  motionless  from  the  masthead.  He  acted 
with  the  air  of  a  man  who  Avas  deeply  dissatisfied  with  the 
existing  state  of  things,  and  who  felt  inclined  to  take  the 
laws  of  nature  into  his  own  hands.  Fortunately  for  nature 
and  himself,  he  was  unable  to  do  this. 

Ole  Thorwald  exhibited  a  striking  contrast  to  the  active, 
impatient  commander  of  the  vessel.  That  portly  individual 
having  just  finished  a  cigar  which  the  first  lieutenant  liad 
presented  to  liim  on  his  arrival  oji  board,  threw  the  fag 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  127 

end  of  it  into  tlie  sea,  and  proceeded  leisurely  to  fill  a 
large-headed  German  pipe,  which  was  the  constant  com- 
panion of  his  waking  hours,  and  the  bowl  of  which  seldom 
enjoyed  a  cool  moment. 

Ole  having  filled  the  pipe,  lighted  it ;  then,  leaning  over 
the  taffrail,  he  gazed  placidly  into  the  dark  waters,  which 
were  so  perfectly  calm  that  every  star  in  the  vault  above 
could  be  compared  with  its  reflection  in  the  abyss  below. 

Ole  Thorwald,  excepting  when  engaged  in  actual  bat- 
tle, was  phlegmatic,  and  constitutionally  lazy  and  happy. 
When  enjoying  his  German  pipe  he  felt  impressibly  se- 
rene, and  did  not  care  to  be  disturbed.  lie  therefore  paid 
no  attention  to  the  angry  manner  of  Montague,  who 
brushed  past  him  repeatedly  in  his  hasty  perambulations, 
but  continued  to  gaze  downwards  and  smoke  calmly  in  a 
state  of  placid  felicity. 

"  You  appear  to  take  things  coolly.  Mister  Thorv/ald," 
said  Montague,  half  in  jest,  yet  with  a  touch  of  asperity  in 
his  manner. 

"  I  always  do  "  (puff)  "  when  the  weather's  not  warm." 
(Puff,  puff) 

"  Humph  !  "  ejaculated  Montague  ;  "  but  the  weather  is 
warm  just  now  ;  at  least  it  seems  so  to  me,  —  so  warm  that 
I  should  not  be  surprised  if  a  thunder-squall  were  to  burst 
upon  us  ere  long." 

"  Not  a  pleasant  place  to  be  caught  in  a  squall,"  returned 
the  other,  gazing  through  the  voluminous  clouds  of  smoke 
which  he  emitted  at  several  coral  reefs,  whose  ragged 
edges  just  rose  to  the  level  of  the  calm  sea  without  break- 
ing its  mirror-like  surface;  "I've  seen  one  or  two  fine 
vessels  caught  that  way,  just  hereabouts,  and  go  right 
down  in  the  middle  of  the  breakers." 

Montague    smiled,  and  the  commander-in  chief  of  the 


128  GASCOTNE, 

Sandy  Cove  army  fired  innumerable  broadsides  from  his 
mouth  with  redoubled  energy. 

"  That  is  not  a  cheering  piece  of  information,"  said  he, 
"  especially  when  one  has  reason  to  believe  that  a  false 
man  stands  at  the  helm." 

Montague  uttered  the  latter  part  of  his  speech  in  a  sub- 
dued, earnest  voice,  and  the  matter-of-fact  Ole  turned  his 
eyes  slowly  towards  the  man  at  the  wheel ;  but  observing 
that  he  who  presided  there  was  a  short,  fat,  commonplace, 
and  uncommonly  jolly-looking  seaman,  he  merely  uttered 
a  grunt,  and  looked  at  Montague  inquiringly. 

"Kay ;  I  mean  not  the  man  who  actually  holds  the  spokes 
of  the  wheel,  but  he  who  guides  the  ship." 

Thorwald  glanced  at  Gascoyne,  whose  figure  was  dimly 
visible  in  the  fore  part  of  the  ship,  and  then  looking  at 
Montague  in  surprise,  shook  his  head  gravely,  as  if  to  say, 
"  I'm  still  in  the  dark  ;  go  on." 

"  Can  Mr.  Thorwald  put  out  his  pipe  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  accompany  me  to  the  cabin  ?  I  would  have  a  little 
converse  on  this  matter  in  private." 

Ole  hesitated. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  the  other,  smiling,  "  you  may  take 
the  pipe  with  you,  although  it  is  against  rules  to  smoke 
in  my  cabin ;  but  I'll  make  an  exception  in  your  case." 

Ole  smiled,  bowed,  and  thanking  the  captain  for  his 
courtesy,  descended  to  the  cabin  along  with  him,  and  sat 
down  on  a  sofa  in  the  darkest  corner  of  it.  Here  he 
smoked  vehemently,  wliile  his  companion,  assuming  rather 
a  mysterious  air,  said,  in  an  undertone  : 

"  You  have  heard,  of  course,  that  the  pirate  Durward 
has  been  seen,  or  heard  of,  in  these  seas  ?" 

Ole  nodded. 

"  Has  it  ever  struck  you  that  this  Gascoyne,  as  he  callfl 


THE  SANDAL-W'OOD  TRADER.         129 

himself)  knows  more  about  the  pirate  tlian  he  chooses  to 
tell?" 

"  Never,"  replied  Ole.  Indeed,  nothing  ever  did  strihe 
the  stout  commander-in-chief  of  the  forces.  All  new  ideas 
came  to  him  by  slow  degrees,  and  did  not  readily  find 
admission  to  his  perceptive  faculties.  But  when  they  did 
gain  an  entrance  into  his  thick  head,  nothing  was  ever 
known  to  drive  them  out  again.  As  he  did  not  seem  in- 
clined to  comment  on  the  hint  thrown  out  by  his  companion, 
Montague  continued,  in  a  still  more  impressive  tone : 

"  What  would  you  say  if  this  Gascoyne  himself  turned 
out  to  be  the  pirate  ?  " 

The  idea  being  a  simple  one,  and  the  proper  course  to 
follow  being  rather  obvious,  Ole  replied,  with  unwonted 
promptitude :  "  Put  him  in  irons,  of  course,  and  hang  him 
as  soon  as  possible." 

Montague  laughed.  "  Truly  that  would  be  a  vigorous 
way  of  proceeding ;  but  as  I  have  no  proof  of  the  truth 
of  my  suspicions,  and  as  the  man  is  my  guest  at  present, 
as  well  as  my  pilot,  it  behooves  me  to  act  more  cau- 
tiously." 

"  Not  at  all ;  by  no  means ;  you're  quite  wrong,  captain 
(which  is  the  natural  result  of  being  young;  all  young 
people  go  wrong  more  or  less)  ;  it  is  clearly  your  duty  to 
catch  a  pirate  anyhow  you  can,  as  fast  as  you  can,  and  kill 
him  without  delay." 

Here  the  sanguinary  Thorwald  paused  to  draw  and  puff 
into  vitality  the  pipe  which  was  beginning  to  die  down, 
and  Montague  asked : 

"  Bat  how  d'you  know  he  is  the  pirate  ?  " 

"  Because  you  said  so,"  replied  his  friend. 

"  Nay  ;  I  said  that  I  suspected  him  to  be  Durward,  — 
nothing  more.'" 


130  GASCOYXE, 

"  And  what  more  would  you  have  ?  "  cried  Ole,  whose 
calm  spirit  was  ruffled  with  unusual  violence  at  the  thought 
of  the  hated  Durward  being  actually  wdthin  his  reach. 
"  For  my  part,  I  conceive  that  you  are  justified  in  taking 
him  up  on  suspicion,  trying  him  in  a  formal  way  (just  to 
save  appearances)  on  suspicion,  and  hanging  him  at  once 
on  suspicion.  Quite  time  enough  to  inquire  into  the  mat- 
ter after  the  villain  is  comfortably  sewed  up  in  a  hammock 
with  a  thirty-pound  shot  at  his  heels,  and  sent  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  sea  for  the  sharks  and  crabs  to  devour.  Suspi- 
cion is  nine  points  of  ihe  law  in  these  regions.  Captain 
Montague,  and  we  never  allow  the  tenth  point  to  interfere 
with  the  course  of  justice  one  way  or  another.  Hang 
him,  or  shoot  him  if  you  prefer  it,  at  once  ;  that  is  what  J 
recommend." 

Just  as  Thorwald  concluded  this  amiable  piece  of  advice, 
the  deep,  strong  tones  of  Gascoyne's  voice  were  heard  ad> 
dressing  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  You  had  better  hoist  your  royals  and  skyscrapers,  Mr. 
Mulroy ;  we  shall  have  a  light  air  oflT  the  land  presently, 
and  it  will  require  all  your  canvas  to  carry  the  ship 
round  the  north  point,  so  as  to  bring  her  guns  to  bear  on 
the  village  of  the  savages." 

"The  distance  seems  to  me  very  short,"  replied  the 
lieutenant,  "  and  the  Talisman  sails  faster  than  you  may 
suppose  with  a  light  wind." 

"I  doubt  not  the  sailing  qualities  of  your  good  ship, 
though  I  could  name  a  small  schooner  that  would  beat 
them  in  light  wind  or  storm  ;  but  you  forget  that  we  have 
to  land  our  stout  ally  Mr.  Tliorwald  with  his  men  at  the 
Goat's  Pass,  and  that  will  compel  us  to  lose  time,  —  too 
much  of  which  has  been  lost  already." 

Without  reply,  the  lieutenant  turned  on  his  heel,  and 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  131 

gave  the  necessary  orders  to  hoist  the  additional  sails, 
while  the  captain  hastened  on  deck,  leaving  Thorwald  to 
finish  his  pipe  in  peace,  and  ruminate  on  the  suspicions 
which  had  been  raised  in  his  mind. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  the  light  wind  which  Gascojne 
had  predicted  came  off  the  land,  first  in  a  series  of  what 
sailors  term  "cat's  paws,"  and  then  in  a  steady  breeze, 
which  lasted  several  hours,  and  caused  the  vessel  to  slip 
rapidly  through  the  still  water.  As  he  looked  anxiously 
over  the  bow.  Captain  Montague  felt  that  he  had  placed 
himself  completely  in  the  power  of  the  suspected  skipper 
of  the  Foam  ;  for  coral  reefs  surrounded  him  on  all  sides, 
and  many  of  them  passed  so  close  to  the  ship's  side  that  he 
expected  every  moment  to  feel  the  shock  that  would  wreck 
his  vessel  and  his  hopes  at  the  same  time.  He  blamed 
himself  for  trusting  a  man  whom  he  supposed  he  had  such 
good  reason  to  doubt,  but  consoled  himself  by  tlirusting  his 
hand  into  his  bosom  and  grasping  the  handle  of  a  pistol, 
with  which,  in  the  event  of  the  ship  striking,  he  had  made 
up  his  mind  to  blo'.v  out  Gascoyne's  brains. 

About  an  hour  later,  the  Talisman  was  hove-to  off  the 
Goat's  Pass,  and  Ole  Tiiorwald  was  landed  with  his  party 
at  the  base  of  a  cliff  which  rose  sheer  up  from  the  sea  like 
a  w^all. 

"  Are  we  to  go  up  there  ? "  inquired  Ole,  in  a  rueful 
tone  of  voice,  as  he  surveyed  a  narrow  chasm  to  which 
Gascoyne  guided  him. 

"  That  is  the  way.  It's  not  so  bad  as  is  looks.  When 
you  get  to  the  top,  follow  the  little  path  that  leads  along 
the  cliffs  northward,  and  you  will  reach  the  brow  of  a  hill 
from  which  the  native  village  will  be  visible.  Descend 
and  attack  it  at  once,  if  you  find  men  to  fight  with  ;  if  not, 
take  possession  quietly.     Mind  you  don't  take  the  wrong 


132  GASCOYNE, 

turn  ;  il  leads  to  places  where  a  wildcat  would  not  venture 
even  in  daylight.  If  you  attend  to  what  I  have  said,  you 
can't  go  wrong.     Good-night.     Shove  off." 

The  oars  splashed  in  the  sea  at  the  word,  and  Gascoyne 
returned  to  the  ship,  leaving  Ole  to  lead  his  men  up  the 
Pass  as  best  he  might. 

It  seemed  as  if  the  pilot  had  resolved  to  make  sure  of 
the  destruction  of  the  ship  that  night ;  for,  not  content 
with  running  her  within  a  foot  or  two  of  innumerable 
reefs,  he  at  last  steered  in  so  close  to  the  shore  that  the 
beetling  cliffs  actually  seemed  to  overhang  the  deck. 
"Wlien  the  sun  rose,  the  breeze  died  away ;  but  sufficient 
wind  continued  to  fill  the  upper  sails,  and  to  urge  the  ves- 
sel gently  onward  for  some  time  after  the  surface  of  the 
sea  was  calm. 

Montague  endeavored  to  conceal  and  repress  his  anxi- 
ety as  long  as  possible ;  but  when  at  length  a  line  of  break- 
ers without  any  apparent  opening  presented  themselves 
right  ahead,  he  went  up  to  Gascoyne  and  said,  in  a  stern 
undertone : 

"  Are  you  aware  that  you  forfeit  your  life  if  my  vessel 
strikes  ?  " 

"  I  know  it,"  replied  Gascoyne,  coolly  throwing  away 
the  stump  of  his  cigar,  and  lighting  a  fresh  one ;  "but  I 
have  no  desire  either  to  destroy  your  vessel  or  to  lose  my 
life ;  although,  to  say  truth,  I  should  have  no  objection,  in 
other  circumstances,  to  attempt  the  one  and  to  ri.->k  the 
other." 

"  Say  you  so?  "  said  Montague,  with  a  sharp  glance  at 
the  countenance  of  the  other,  where,  however,  he  could 
perceive  nothing  but  placid  good  humor ;  "  that  speech 
Bounds  marvellously  warl'ke,  mcthinks,  in  the  mouth  of  a 
Bandal-wood  trader.'' 


THE  S AND AI^ WOOD  TRADER.  133 

"  Think  you,  tlien,"  said  Gascoyne,  with  a  smile  of  con- 
tempt, "  that  it  is  only  your  fire-eating  men  of  war  who 
experience  bold  impulses  and  heroic  desires  ?  " 

"  Nay ;  but  traders  are  not  wont  to  aspire  to  the  honor 
of  fighting  the  ships  that  are  commissioned  to  protect 
them." 

"  Truly,  if  I  had  sought  protection  from  the  war-ships  of 
the  King  of  England,  I  must  have  sailed  long  and  far  to 
find  it,"  returned  Gascoyne.  "  It  is  no  child's  play  to  nav- 
igate these  seas,  where  blood-thirsty  savages  swarm  in  their 
canoes  like  locusts.  Moreover,  I  sail,  as  I  have  told  you 
before,  in  the  China  Seas,  where  pirates  are  more  common 
than  honest  traders.  What  would  you  say  if  I  were  to 
take  it  into  my  head  to  protect  myself?  " 

"  That  you  were  well  able  to  do  so,"  answered  Mon- 
tague, with  a  smile  ;  "  but  when  I  examined  the  Foam,  I 
found  no  arms  save  a  few  cutlasses  and  rusty  muskets  that 
did  not  seem  to  have  been  in  recent  use." 

"  A  few  bold  men  can  defend  themselves  with  any  kind 
of  weapons.  My  men  are  stout  fellows,  not  used  to  flinch 
at  the  sound  of  a  round  shot  passing  over  their  heads." 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  here  by  the  ship 
rounding  a  point  and  suddenly  opening  up  a  view  of  a  fine 
bay,  at  the  head  of  which,  embosomed  in  trees  and  dense 
underwood,  stood  the  native  village  of  which  they  were  in 
search. 

Just  in  front  of  this  village  lay  a  small  but  high  and 
thickly-wooded  island,  which,  as  it  were,  filled  up  the  head 
of  the  bay,  sheltering  it  completely  from  the  ocean,  and 
making  the  part  of  the  sea  which  washed  the  shores  in 
front  of  the  houses  resemble  a  deep  and  broad  canal.  This 
stripe  of  water  was  wide  and  deep  enough  to  permit  of  a 
vessel  of  the  largest  size  passing  thrc;ugh  it ;  but  to  any 


134  GASCOYXE. 

one  approaching  the  place  for  the  first  time,  there  seemed 
to  be  no  passage  for  any  sort  of  craft  larger  than  a  native 
canoe.  The  island  itself  was  high  enough  to  conceal  the 
Talisman  completely  from  the  natives  until  she  was  within 
half  gunshot  of  the  shore. 

Gascoyne  still  stood  on  the  fore  part  of  the  ship  as  she 
neared  this  spot,  which  was  so  beset  with  reefs  and  rocks 
that  her  escape  seemed  miraculous. 

"  I  think  we  are  near  enough  for  the  work  that  we  have 
to  do,"  suggested  Montague,  in  some  anxiety. 

"Just  about  it,  Mr.  Montague,"  said  Gascoyne,  as  he 
turned  towards  the  helm  and  shouted,  "  Port  your  helm.' 

"  Port  it  is,"  answered  the  man  at  the  wheeL 

"  Steady." 

"  Back  the  topsails,  Mr.  Mulroy." 

The  sails  were  backed  at  once,  and  the  ship  became 
motionless,  with  her  broadside  to  the  village. 

"  What  are  we  to  do  now,  Mr.  Gascoyne,"  inquire(? 
Montague,  smiling  in  spite  of  himself  at  the  strange  po- 
sition in  which  he  found  himself. 

"  Fire  away  at  the  village  as  hard  as  you  can,"  replied 
Gascoyne,  returning  the  smile. 

"  What !  do  you  really  advise  me  to  bombard  a  defence- 
less place,  in  which,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  there  are  none 
but  women  and  children  ?  " 

"  Even  so,"  returned  the  other,  carelessly.  "  At  the  same 
time  I  would  advise  you  to  give  it  them  with  a  blank  cart- 
ridge." 

"  And  to  what  purpose  such  waste  of  powder  ? "  in- 
quired Montague. 

"  The  furthering  of  the  plans  which  I  have  been  ap- 
pointed to  carry  out,"  replied  Gascoyne,  somewhat  stiffly, 
as  he  turned  (>n  liis  heel  and  walked  away. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  135 

The  young  captain  reddened  and  bit  his  lip,  as  he  gave 
the  order  to  load  the  guns  with  blank  cartridge,  and  made 
preparation  to  fire  this  harmless  broadside  on  the  village. 
The  word  to  "  fire  "  had  barely  crossed  his  lips  when  the 
rocks  around  seemed  to  tremble  with  the  crash  of  a  shot 
that  came  apparently  from  the  other  side  of  the  island ;  for 
its  smoke  was  visible,  although  the  vessel  that  discharged 
it  was  concealed  behind  the  point.  The  Talisman's  broad- 
side followed  so  quickly,  that  the  two  discharges  were 
blended  in  one. 


CHAPTER  XIIL 


DOINGS   ON  BOARD   THE   "  FOAM.' 


The  nature  of  this  part  of  our  story  requires  tliat  we 
eliould  turn  back,  repeatedly,  in  order  to  trace  the  move- 
ments of  the  diiFerent  parties  which  cooperated  with  each 
other. 

While  the  warlike  demonstrations  we  have  described 
were  being  made  by  the  British  cruiser,  the  crew  of  the 
Foam  were  not  idle. 

In  consequence  of  the  capture  of  Bumpus  by  the  sava- 
ges, Gascoyne's  message  was,  of  course,  not  dehvered  to 
Manton,  and  the  first  mate  of  the  sandal-wood  trader 
would  have  known  nothing  about  the  fight  that  raged  on 
the  other  side  of  the  island  on  the  Sunday  but  for  the 
three  shots,  fired  by  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  Talisman, 
which  decided  the  fate  of  the  day. 

Being  curious  to  know  the  cause  of  the  firing,  Manton 
climbed  the  mountains  until  he  gamed  the  dividing  ridge, 
—  which,  however,  he  did  not  succeed  in  doing  till  late  in 
the  afternoon,  the  way  being  rugged  as  well  as  long.  Here 
he  almost  walked  into  the  midst  of  a  iiying  party  of  the 
beaten  savages ;  but  dropping  suddenly  behind  a  rock,  he 
escaped  their  notice.  The  haste  with  which  ihey  ran,  and 
the  wounds  visible  on  the  per.^ons  of  many  of  them,  were 
suilicient  to  acquaint  the  mate  of  the  Foam  with  the  iact 
that  a  fight  had  taken  place  in  which  the  savages  had  been 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  137 

beaten ;  and  his  knowledge  of  the  state  of  affairs  on  the 
island  enabled  him  to  jump  at  once  to  the  correct  conclu- 
sion that  the  Christian  village  had  been  attacked. 

A  Satanic  smile  played  on  the  countenance  of  the  mate 
as  he  watched  the  savages  until  they  were  out  of  sight ; 
then,  quitting  his  place  of  concealment,  he  hurried  back 
to  the  schooner,  which  he  reached  some  time  after  night- 
fall. 

Immediately  on  gaining  the  deck  he  gave  orders  to  haul 
the  chain  of  the  anchor  short,  to  shake  out  the  sails,  and 
to  make  other  preparations  to  avail  himself  without  delay 
of  the  light  breeze  off  the  land  which  his  knowledge  of 
the  weather  and  the  locality  taught  him  to  look  for  before 
morning. 

While  his  orders  were  being  executed,  a  boat  came 
alongside  with  that  part  of  the  crew  which  had  been  sent 
ashore  by  Gascoyne  to  escape  the  eye  of  the  British  com- 
mander. It  was  in  charge  of  the  second  mate,  —  a  short, 
but  thick-set,  and  extremely  powerful  man,  of  the  name  of 
Scraggs,  —  who  walked  up  to  his  superior  the  moment  he 
came  on  board,  and,  in  a  tone  somewhat  disrespectful, 
asked  what  was  going  to  be  done. 

"  Don't  you  see  ?"  growled  Manton ;  "  we're  getting  ready 
to  sail." 

"Of course  I  see  that,"  retorted  Scraggs, between  whom 
and  his  superior  officer  there  existed  a  feeling  of  jealousy 
as  well  as  of  mutual  antipathy,  for  reasons  which  will  be 
seen  hereafter ;  "  but  I  should  like  to  know  where  we  are 
going,  and  why  we  are  going  anywhere  without  the  cap- 
tain.    I  suppose  I  am  entitled  to  ask  that  much." 

"It's  your  business  to  obey  orders,"  said  Manton,  an- 
grily. 

"  Not  if  they  are  in  opposition  to  the  captain's  orders," 


J  38  GASCOYNE, 

replied  Scraggs,  firmly,  but  in  a  more  respectful  tone ;  for 
in  proportion  as  he  became  more  mutinous,  he  felt  that  he 
could  afford  to  become  more  deferential.  "  The  captain's 
last  orders  to  you  were  to  remain  where  you  are ;  I  heard 
him  give  them,  and  I  do  not  feel  it  my  duty  to  disobey  him 
at  your  bidding.  You'll  find,  too,  that  the  crew  are  of  my 
way  of  thinking." 

Manton's  face  flushed  crimson,  and,  for  a  moment,  he 
felt  inclined  to  seize  a  handspike  and  fell  the  refractory 
second  mate  therewith  ;  but  the  looks  of  a  few  of  the  men 
who  were  standing  by  and  had  overheard  the  conversation 
convinced  him  that  a  violent  course  of  procedure  would  do 
him  injury.  Swallowing  his  passion,  therefore,  as  he  best 
could,  he  said  : 

"  Come,  Mr.  Scraggs,  I  did  not  expect  that  you  would 
set  a  mutinous  example  to  the  men ;  and  if  it  were  not 
that  you  do  so  out  of  respect  for  the  supposed  orders  to 
the  captain,  I  would  put  you  in  irons  at  once." 

Scraggs  smiled  sarcastically  at  this  threat,  but  made  no 
reply,  and  the  mate  continued : 

**  The  captain  did  indeed  order  me  to  remain  where  we 
are ;  but  I  have  since  discovered  that  the  black  dogs  have 
attacked  the  Christian  settlement,  as  it  is  called,  and  you 
know  as  well  as  I  do  that  Gascoyne  would  not  let  slip  the 
chance  to  pitch  into  the  undefended  village  of  the  niggers, 
and  pay  them  off  for  the  mischief  they  have  done  to  us 
more  than  once.  At  any  rate,  I  mean  to  go  round  and 
blow  down  their  log  huts  with  Long  Tom  ;  so  you  can  go 
ashore  if  you  don't  like  the  work." 

Manton  knew  well,  when  he  made  this  allusion  to  mis- 
chief formerly  done  to  the  crew  of  the  Foam,  that  he 
touched  a  rankling  sore  in  the  breast  of  Scraggs,  who  in  a 
ekinnish  with  the  natives  some  time  before  had  lost  an 


THE  SAXDAL-TVOOD  TRADER.         139 

eye ;  and  the  idea  of  revenging  himself  on  the  defenceless 
women  and  children  of  his  enemies  was  so  congenial  to 
the  mind  of  the  second  mate,  that  his  objections  to  act 
willingly  under  Manton's  orders  were  at  once  removed. 

"  Ha ! "  said  he,  commencing  to  pace  to  and  fro  on  the 
quarter-deck  with  his  superior  officer,  while  the  men  made 
the  necessary  preparations  for  the  intended  assault,  "  that 
alters  the  case,  Mr.  Manton.  I  don't  think,  however,  that 
Gascoyne  would  have  taken  advantage  of  the  chance  to 
give  the  brutes  what  they  deserve ;  for  I  must  say  he  does 
seem  to  be  unaccountably  chicken-hearted.  Perhaps  it's  as 
well  that  he's  out  of  the  way.  Do  you  happen  to  know 
where  he  is,  or  what  he's  doing  ?  " 

"  Not  I.  No  doubt  he  is  playing  some  sly  game  with 
this  British  cruiser,  and  I  dare  say  he  may  be  lending  a 
hand  to  the  settlers ;  for  he's  got  some  strange  interests  to 
look  after  there,  you  know"  (here  both  men  laughed), 
"  and  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  was  beforehand  with  us  in 
pitching  into  the  niggers.  He  is  always  ready  enough  to 
fight  in  self-defence,  though  we  can  never  get  him  screwed 
up  to  the  assaulting  point." 

"  Ay,  we  saw  something  of  the  fighting  from  the  hill- 
tops ;  but  as  it  is  no  business  of  ours,  I  brought  the  men 
down,  in  case  they  might  be  wanted  aboard." 

"  Quite  right,  Scraggs.  You're  a  judicious  fellow  to 
send  on  a  dangerous  expedition.  I'm  not  sure,  however, 
that  Gascoyne  would  thank  you  for  leaving  him  to  fight 
the  savages  alone." 

Manton  chuckled  as  he  said  this,  and  Scraggs  grinned 
maliciously  as  he  replied  : 

"  Well,  it  can't  exactly  be  said  that  I've  left  him,  seeing 
that  I  have  not  been  with  him  since  we  parted  aboard  of 
this  schooner;  and  as  to  his  fightin'  the  niggers  alone. 


140  GASCOYNE, 

hasn't  he  got  ever  so  many  hundred  Chistian  niggers  to 
help  him  to  lick  the  others  ?  " 

"  True,"  said  Manton,  while  a  smile  of  contempt  curled 
his  lip.  "  But  here  comes  the  breeze,  and  the  sun  wont 
be  long  behind  it.  All  the  better  for  the  work  we've  got 
to  do.  Mind  your  helm  there.  Here,  lads,  take  a  pull  at 
the  topsail  halyards  ;  and  some  of  you  get  the  nightcap  off 
Long  Tom.  I  say,  Mr.  Scraggs,  should  we  show  them  the 
red,  by  way  of  comforting  their  hearts  ?  " 

Scraggs  shook  his  head  dubiously.  "You  forget  the 
cruiser.  She  has  eyes  aboard,  and  may  chance  to  set 
them  on  that  same  red ;  in  which  case  it's  likely  she  would 
show  us  her  teeth." 

"  And  what  then  ?  "  demanded  Manton,  "  are  you  also 
growing  chicken-hearted  ?  Besides,"  he  added,  in  a  milder 
tone,  "  the  cruiser  is  quietly  at  anchor  on  the  other  side  of 
the  island,  and  there's  not  a  captain  in  the  British  navy 
who  could  take  a  pinnace,  much  less  a  ship,  through  the 
reefs  at  the  north  end  of  the  island  without  a  pilot." 

"  Well,"  returned  Scraggs,  carelessly, "  do  as  you  please. 
It's  all  one  to  me." 

While  the  two  officers  were  conversing,  the  active  crew 
of  the  Foam  were  busily  engaged  in  carrying  out  the  orders 
of  Manton ;  and  the  graceful  schooner  glided  swiftly  along 
the  coast  before  the  same  breeze  which  urged  the  Talis- 
man to  the  north  end  of  the  island.  The  former,  having 
few  reefs  to  avoid,  approached  her  destination  much  more 
rapidly  than  the  latter,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  she 
would  have  arrived  first  on  the  scene  of  action  had  not  the 
height  and  form  of  the  cliffs  prevented  the  wind  from  fill- 
ing her  sails  on  two  or  three  occasions. 

Meanwhile,  in  obedience  to  Manton's  orders,  a  great 
and   very  peculiar  change  was  effected  in  the  outward 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.         141 

aspect  of  the  Foam.  To  one  unacquainted  with  the  char- 
acter of  the  schooner,  the  proceedings  of  her  crew  must 
have  seemed  unaccountable  as  well  as  surprising.  The 
cai'penter  and  his  assistants  were  slung  over  the  sides  of 
the  vessel,  upon  which  they  plied  their  screwdrivers  for  a 
considerable  time  with  great  energy,  but,  apparently,  with 
very  little  result.  In  the  course  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
however,  a  long  narrow  plank  was  loosened,  which,  when 
stripped  off,  discovered  a  narrow  line  of  bright  scarlet  run- 
ning quite  round  the  vessel,  a  little  more  than  a  foot  above 
the  water-line.  This  having  been  accomplished,  they  next 
proceeded  to  the  figurehead,  and,  unscrewing  the  white 
lady  who  smiled  there,  fixed  in  her  place  a  hideous  grifiin's 
head,  which,  like  the  ribbon,  was  also  bright  scarlet.  While 
these  changes  were  being  effected,  others  of  the  crew  re- 
moved the  boat  that  lay  on  the  deck,  bottom  up  between 
the  masts,  and  uncovered  a  long  brass  pivot-gun,  of  the 
largest  calibre,  which  shone  in  the  saffron  light  of  morning 
like  a  mass  of  burnished  gold.  This  gun  was  kept  scrupu- 
lously clean  and  neat  in  all  its  arrangements ;  the  rammers, 
sponges,  screws,  and  other  apparatus  belonging  to  it  were 
neatly  arranged  beside  it,  and  four  or  five  of  its  enormous 
ii'oa  shot  were  piled  under  its  muzzle.  The  traversing 
gear  connected  with  it  was  well  greased,  and,  in  short, 
everything  about  the  gun  gave  proof  of  the  care  that  was 
bestowed  on  it. 

But  these  were  not  the  only  alterations  made  in  the 
mysterious  schooner.  Round  both  masts  were  piled  a 
number  of  muskets,  boarding-pikes,  cutlasses,  and  pistols, 
all  of  which  were  perfectly  clean  and  bright,  and  the  men 
—  fierce  enough  and  warlike  in  their  aspect  at  all  times  — 
had  now  rendered  themselves  doubly  so  by  putting  on 
broad  belts  with  pistols  therein,  and  tucking  up  their  slee^'ea 


142  GASCOYNE, 

to  the  shoulders,  thereby  displayuig  their  brawny  arms  aa 
if  they  had  dirty  work  before  them.  This  strange  meta* 
morphosis  was  finally  completed,  when  Manton,  with  his 
own  hands,  ran  up  to  the  peak  of  the  mainsail  a  bright 
scarlet  flag  with  the  single  word  "  Avenger  "  on  it  in 
large  black  letters. 

During  one  of  those  luUs  in  the  breeze  to  which  we 
have  referred,  and  while  the  smooth  ocean  glowed  in  the 
mellow  hght  that  ushered  in  the  day,  the  attention  of  those 
on  board  the  Avenger  (as  we  shaU  caU  the  double-faced 
schooner  when  under  red  colors)  was  attracted  to  one  of 
the  more  distant  cliffs,  on  the  summit  of  which  human 
beings  appeared  to  be  moving. 

"  Hand  me  that  glass,"  said  Manton  to  one  of  the  men 
beside  him.  "  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  the  niggers  were  up 
to  some  mischief  there.  Ah  !  just  so,"  he  exclaimed,  ad- 
justing the  telescope  a  little  more  correctly,  and  again 
applying  it  to  his  eye.  "  They  seem  to  be  scuffling  on  the 
top  of  yonder  precipice.  Now  there's  one  fellow  down  ; 
but  it's  so  far  off  that  I  can't  make  out  cleai'ly  what  they're 
about.  I  say,  Mr.  Scraggs,  get  the  other  glass  and  take  a 
squint  at  them ;  you  are  further  sighted  than  I  am." 

"  You're  right :  they  are  kilhn'  one  another  up  yonder," 
observed  Scraggs,  surveying  the  group  on  the  cliffs  with 
calm  indifference. 

"  Here  comes  the  breeze,"  exclaimed  Manton,  with  a 
look  of  satisfaction.  "  Now,  look  alive,  lads ;  we  shall  be 
close  on  the  nigger  village  in  five  minutes :  it's  just  round 
the  point  of  this  small  island  close  ahead.  Come,  Mr. 
Scraggs,  we've  other  business  on  hand  just  now  than 
squinting  at  the  scrimmages  of  these  fellows." 

"  Hold  on,*'  cried  Scraggs,  with  a  grin  ;  "I  d  )  believe 
they're  going  to  pi'ch  a  fellow  over  that  cliff.     What  a 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.         113 

crack  he'll  come  down  into  the  water  with,  to  be  sure. 
It's  to  be  hoped  the  poor  man  is  dead,  for  his  own  sake, 
before  he  takes  that  flight.  Hallo ! "  added  Scraggs,  with 
an  energetic  shout  and  a  look  of  surprise ;  "  I  say,  that's  one 
of  our  men ;  I  know  him  by  his  striped  flannel  shirt.  If 
he  would  only  give  up  kicking  for  a  second,  I'd  make  out 

his Humph !  it's  all  up  with  him  now,  poor  fellow, 

whoever  he  is." 

As  he  said  the  last  words,  the  figure  of  a  man  was  seen 
to  shoot  out  from  the  cliff,  and,  descending  with  ever 
increasing  rapidity,  to  strike  the  water  with  terrific  vio- 
lence, sending  up  a  jet  of  white  foam  as  it  disappeared. 

"  Stand  by  to  lower  the  gig,"  shouted  Manton. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  was  the  hearty  response  of  the  men,  as 
Bome  of  them  sprang  to  obey. 

"  Lower  away !  " 

The  boat  struck  water,  and  its  crew  were  on  the  thwarts 
in  a  moment.  At  the  same  time  the  pomt  of  the  island 
was  passed,  and  the  native  village  opened  up  to  view. 

"  Load  Long  Tom  —  double  shot !  "  roared  Manton, 
whose  ire  was  raised  not  so  much  at  the  idea  of  a  fellow- 
creature  having  been  so  barbarously  murdered  as  at  the 
notion  of  one  of  the  crew  of  his  schooner  having  been  so 
treated  by  contemptible  niggers.  "  Away,  lads,  and  pick 
up  that  man." 

"  It's  of  no  use,"  remonstrated  Scraggs ;  "  he's  done  for 
by  this  time." 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Manton,  with  a  fierce  oath ;  "  bring 
him  in,  dead  or  alive.  If  the  sharks  leave  an  inch  of  him, 
bring  it  to  me.     I'll  make  the  black  villains  eat  it  raw." 

This  ferocious  threat  was  interlarded  with  and  fol- 
lowed by  a  series  of  terrible  oaths,  which  we  think  it  inad- 
visable to  repeat. 


144  GASCOYNE. 

"  Starboard ! "  he  shouted  to  the  man  at  the  helm,  as 
Boon  as  the  boat  shot  away  on  its  mission  of  mercy. 

"  Starboard  it  is." 

"  Steady ! " 

While  he  gave  these  orders,  Manton  sighted  the  brass 
gun  carefully,  and,  just  as  the  schooner's  head  came  up  to 
the  wind,  he  applied  the  match. 

Instantly  a  cloud  of  smoke  obscured  the  centre  of  the 
little  vessel,  as  if  her  powder  magazine  had  blown  up,  and 
a  deafening  roar  went  ringing  and  reverberating  from  cliff 
to  cliff  as  two  of  the  gi-eat  iron  shot  were  sent  groaning 
through  the  air  and  pitched  right  into  the  heart  of  the  vil- 
lage. 

It  was  this  tremendous  shot  from  Long  Tom,  followed 
almost  instantaneously  by  the  broadside  of  the  Talisman, 
that  saved  the  life  of  Alice,  —  possibly  the  lives  of  her 
young  companions  also ;  that  struck  terror  to  the  hearts 
of  the  savages,  causing  them  to  converge  towards  their 
defenceless  homes  from  all  directions,  and  that  apprised 
01  e  Thorwald  and  Henry  Stuart  that  the  assault  on  the 
village  had  commenced  in  earnest 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

OBZ1.TEB  HYSTERICS  THAN  EVER  — A  BOLD  MOTE  AND  4 
NARROW    ESCAPE. 

We  return  now  to  the  Talisman. 

The  instant  the  broadside  of  the  cruiser  burst  with  such 
violence,  and  in  such  close  proximity,  on  Manton's  ears, 
he  felt  that  he  had  run  into  the  very  jaws  of  the  lion ;  and 
that  escape  was  almost  impossible.  The  bold  heart  of  the 
pirate  quailed  at  the  thought  of  his  impending  fate,  but 
the  fear  caused  by  conscious  guilt  was  momentary ;  his 
constitutional  courage  returned  so  violently  as  to  render 
him  reckless. 

It  was  too  late  to  put  about  and  avoid  being  seen ;  for, 
before  the  shot  was  fired,  the  schooner  had  already  almost 
run  into  the  narrow  channel  between  the  island  and  the 
shore.  A  few  seconds  later,  she  sailed  gracefully  into  view 
of  the  amazed  Montague,  who  at  once  recognized  the  pi- 
rate vessel  from  Gascoyne's  faithful  description  of  her,  and 
hurriedly  gave  orders  to  load  with  ball  and  grape,  while  a 
boat  was  lowered  in  order  to  slew  the  ship  more  rapidly  so 
as  to  bring  her  broadside  to  bear  on  the  schooner. 

To  say  that  Gascoyne  beheld  all  this  unmoved  would 
be  to  give  a  false  impression  of  the  man.  He  knew  the 
ring  of  his  great  gun  too  well  to  require  the  schooner  to 
come  in  sight  in  order  to  convince  him  that  his  vessel  was 
near  at  hand.  Whim,  therefore,  she  appeai'ed,  and  Mon- 
10 


146  GASCOTNE, 

tague  turned  to  him  with  a  hasty  glance  of  suspicion  and 
pointed  to  her,  he  had  completely  banished  every  trace  of 
feeling  from  his  countenance,  and  sat  on  the  taffrail  puffing 
his  cigar  with  an  air  of  calm  satisfaction.  Noddmg  to 
Montague's  glance  of  inquiry,  he  said : 

"  Ay,  that's  the  pirate.  I  told  you  he  was  a  bold  fellow ; 
but  I  did  not  think  he  was  quite  so  bold  as  to  attempt 
this!" 

To  do  Gascoyne  justice,  he  told  the  plain  truth  here ; 
for,  having  sent  a  peremptory  order  to  his  mate,  by  John 
Bumpus,  not  to  move  from  his  anchorage  on  any  account 
whatever,  he  was  not  a  little  surprised  as  well  as  enraged 
at  what  he  supposed  w^as  Manton's  mutinous  conduct. 
But,  as  we  have  said,  his  feelings  were  confined  to  his 
breast ;  they  found  no  index  in  his  grave  face. 

Montague  suspected,  nevertheless,  that  his  pilot  wag 
assuming  a  composure  which  he  did  not  feel ;  for  from  the 
manner  of  the  meeting  of  the  two  vessels,  he  was  persuaded 
that  it  was  as  little  expected  on  the  part  of  the  pirates  as 
of  himself  It  was  with  a  feeling  of  curiosity,  therefore, 
as  to  what  reply  he  should  receive,  that  he  put  the  ques- 
tion, "  What  would  Mr.  Gascoyne  advise  me  to  do  now  ?  " 

"  Blow  the  villains  out  of  the  water,"  was  the  quick 
answer.  "  I  would  have  done  so  before  now,  had  I  been 
you." 

"Perhaps  you  might,  but  not  much  sooner,"  retorted 
tlie  other,  pointing  to  the  guns  which  were  ready  loaded, 
while  the  men  stood  at  their  stations,  matches  in  hand,  only 
waiting  for  the  broadside  to  be  brought  to  bear  on  the 
little  vessel,  when  an  iron  shower  would  be  sent  against 
her  wldch  must,  at  such  short  range,  have  infallibly  sent 
her  to  the  bottom. 

The  mate  of  (he  pirate  schooner  was  quite  alive  to  hia 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  147 

danger,  and  had  taken  the  only  means  in  his  power  to 
prevent  it.  Close  to  where  his  vessel  lay,  a  large  rock 
rose  between  the  shore  of  the  large  island  and  the  islet 
in  the  bay  which  has  been  described  as  separating  the  two 
vessels  from  each  other.  Owing  to  the  formation  of  the 
coast  at  this  place,  a  powerful  stream  ran  between  the 
rock  and  this  islet  at  low  tide.  It  happened  to  be  flowing 
out  at  that  time  like  a  mill-race.  Manton  saw  that  the 
schooner  was  being  sucked  into  this  stream.  In  other 
circumstances,  he  would  have  endeavored  to  avoid  the 
danger ;  for  the  channel  was  barely  wide  enough  to  allow 
even  a  small  craft  to  pass  between  the  rocks  ;  but  now  he 
resolved  to  risk  it. 

He  knew  that  any  attempt  to  put  the  schooner  about 
would  only  hasten  the  efforts  of  the  cruiser  to  bring  her 
broadside  to  bear  on  him.  He  also  knew  that,  in  the 
course  of  a  few  seconds,  he  would  be  carried  through  the 
stream  into  the  shelter  of  the  rocky  point.  He  therefore 
ordered  the  men  to  lie  down  on  the  deck  ;  while,  in  a  care- 
less manner,  he  slewed  the  big  brass  gun  round,  so  as  to 
point  it  at  the  man-of-war. 

Gascoyne  at  once  understood  the  intended  manoeuvre 
of  his  mate  ;  and,  in  spite  of  himself^  a  gleam  of  triumph 
shot  from  his  eyes.  Montague  himself  suspected  that  his 
prize  was  not  altogether  so  sure  as  he  had  deemed  it ;  and 
he  urged  the  men  in  the  boat  to  put  forth  their  utmost 
efforts.  The  Talisman  was  almost  slewed  into  position, 
when  the  pirate  schooner  was  observed  to  move  rapidly 
through  the  water,  stern  foremost,  in  the  direction  of  the 
point.  At  first  Montague  could  scarcely  credit  his  eyes  ; 
but  when  he  saw  the  end  of  the  main  boom  pass  behind 
the  ix)int,  he  became  painfully  alive  to  the  fact  tl  at  the 
whole  vessel  would  certainly  ibllow  in  the  course  of  a  few. 


148  GASCOYNE, 

seconds.  Althougli  the  most  of  his  guns  were  still  not 
sufficiently  well  pom  ted,  he  gave  the  order  to  fire  them  in 
succession.  The  entire  broadside  burst  in  this  manner 
from  the  side  of  the  Talisman,  with  a  prolonged  and 
mighty  crash  or  roar,  and  tore  up  the  waters  of  the  nar- 
row channel. 

Most  of  the  iron  storm  passed  close  by  the  head  of  the 
pirate.  However,  only  one  ball  took  effect;  it  touched 
the  end  of  the  bowsprit,  and  sent  the  jib-boom  into  the  air 
in  splinters.  Manton  applied  the  match  to  the  brass  gun 
almost  at  the  same  moment,  and  the  heavy  ringing  roar 
of  her  explosion  seemed  like  a  prolonged  echo  of  the 
broadside.  The  gun  was  well  aimed ;  but  the  schooner 
had  already  passed  so  far  behind  the  point  that  the  ball 
struck  a  projecting  part  of  the  cliff,  dashed  it  into  atoms, 
and,  glancing  upwai'ds,  passed  through  the  cap  of  the  Tal- 
isman's mizzen-mast,  and  brought  the  lower  yard,  with  all 
its  gear,  rattling  down  on  the  quarter-deck.  When  the 
smoke  cleared  away,  the  Avenger  had  vanished  from  the 
scene. 

To  put  the  ship  about,  and  follow  the  pirate  schooner, 
was  the  first  impulse  of  Montague ;  but,  on  second  thought, 
he  felt  that  the  risk  of  getting  on  the  rocks  in  the  narrow 
channel  was  too  great  to  be  lightly  run.  lie  therefore 
gave  orders  to  v/arp  the  ship  about,  and  steer  round  the 
islet,  on  the  other  side  of  which  he  fully  expected  to  find 
the  pirate.  But  time  was  lost  in  attempting  to  do  this,  in 
consequence  of  the  wreck  of  the  mizzen-mast  having 
fouled  the  rudder.  When  the  Talisman  at  last  got  under 
way,  and  rounded  the  outside  point  of  the  islet,  no  vessel 
of  any  kind  was  to  be  seen. 

Amazed  beyond  measure,  and  deeply  chagrined,  the 
nnfortunate   captain   of  the   man-of-war   turned   to   Gas- 


THE  SAM)AL-WOOD  TRADER.  149 

coyiie.  who  still  sat  quietly  on  the  taffrail  smoking  his 
cigar. 

"  Does  this  pirate  schooner  sport  wings  as  well  as 
sails  ?  "  said  he  ;  "  for  unless  she  does,  and  has  flown  over 
the  mountains,  I  cannot  see  how  she  could  disappear  in  so 
short  a  space  of  time." 

"  I  told  you  the  pirate  was  a  bold  man ;  and  now  he 
has  proved  himself  a  clever  fellow.  Whether  he  sports 
wings  or  no  is  best  known  to  himself.  Perhaps  he  can 
dive.  If  so,  we  have  only  to  watch  until  he  comes  to  the 
surface,  and  shoot  him  leisurely." 

"  TVell,  he  is  off ;  there  is  no  doubt  of  that,"  returned 
Montague.  "  And  now,  Mr.  Gascoyne,  since  it  is  vain  to 
chase  a  vessel  possessed  of  such  mysterious  qualities,  you 
will  not  object,  I  dare  say,  to  guide  my  ship  to  the  bay 
where  your  own  little  schooner  lies.  I  have  a  fancy  to 
anchor  there." 

"  By  all  means,"  said  Gascoyne,  coolly.  "  It  will  afford 
me  much  pleasure  to  do  as  you  wish,  and  to  have  you 
alongside  of  my  little  craft." 

Montague  was  surprised  at  the  perfect  coolness  with 
which  the  other  received  this  proposah  He  was  per- 
suaded that  there  must  be  some  mysterious  connection  be- 
tween the  pirate  schooner  and  the  sandal-wood  trader,  al- 
though his  ideas  were  at  this  point  somewhat  undefined  and 
confused ;  and  he  had  expected  that  Gascoyne  would  have 
shown  some  symptoms  of  peplexity,  on  being  thus  ordered 
to  conduct  the  Talisman  to  a  spot  where,  he  suspected,  no 
schooner  would  be  found,  or,  if  found,  would  appear  under 
such  a  changed  aspect  as  to  warrant  his  seizing  it  on  sus- 
picion. As  Gascoyne,  however,  showed  perfect  willingness 
to  obey  the  order,  he  turned  away,  and  left  his  strange 
pilot  to  conduct  the  ship  through  the  reefs,  having  previ' 


150  GASCOTNE, 

ously  given  him  to  understand  that  the  touching  of  a  rocls 
and  the  termination  of  his  (Gascojne's)  Hfe  would  cer- 
tainly be  simultaneous  events. 

Meanwhile  the  Avenger,  alias  the  Foam,  had  steered 
direct  for  the  shore,  into  which  she  apparently  ran,  and 
disappeared  like  a  phantom-ship.  The  coast  of  this  part 
of  the  island,  where  the  events  we  are  narrating  occurred, 
was  peculiarly  formed.  There  were  several  narrow  inlets 
in  the  high  chfFs  which  were  exceedingly  deep,  but  barely 
wide  enough  to  admit  of  the  passage  of  a  large  boat,  or  a 
small  vessel.  Many  of  these  inlets  or  creeks,  which  in 
some  respects  resembled  the  narrow  fiords  of  Norway, 
though  on  a  miniature  scale,  were  so  thickly  fringed  with 
trees,  and  the  luxuriant  undergrowth  peculiar  to  southern 
climes,  that  their  existence  could  not  be  detected  from  the 
sea.  Indeed,  even  after  the  entrance  to  any  one  of  them 
was  discovered,  no  one  would  have  imagined  it  to  extend 
so  far  inland. 

Two  of  those  deep,  narrow  inlets,  opening  from  opposite 
sides  of  the  cape  which  lay  close  to  the  islet  above  referred 
to,  had  approached  so  close  to  each  other  at  their  upper 
extremities,  that  they  had  at  last  met,  in  consequence 
of  ihe  sea  undermining  and  throwing  down  the  cliff  that 
separated  them.  Thus  the  cape  was  in  reality  an  island ;  and 
the  two  united  inlets  formed  a  narrow  ntrait,  through  which 
the  Avenger  passed  to  her  former  an  jhorage  by  means  of 
four  pair  of  powerful  sweeps  or  oars.  This  secret  passage 
was  well  known  to  the  pirates  ;  and  it  was  with  a  lurking 
feeling  tliat  it  might  some  day  prove  of  use  to  him,  that 
Gascoyne  invariably  anchored  near  it  when  he  visited  the 
island  as  a  sandal-wood  trader. 

During  the  transit,  the  carpenters  of  the  schooner  were 
not  idle.     The  red  streak  and  flag  and  griilin's  head  were 


THE  SANDAL-AVOOD  TRADER.         151 

removed  ;  the  big  gun  was  covered  with  the  long  boat, 
and  the  vessel  which  entered  the  one  end  of  the  channel 
as  the  warlike  Avenger,  issued  from  the  other  side  as  the 
peaceful  Foam  ;  and,  rowing  to  her  former  anchorage, 
dropped  anchor.  The  shattered  jib-boom  had  been  re- 
placed by  a  spare  one,  and  part  of  the  crew  were  stowed 
away  under  the  cargo,  in  an  empty  space  of  the  hold  re- 
served for  this  special  purpose,  and  for  concealing  arms. 
A  few  of  them  were  also  landed,  not  far  from  the  cliff  over 
which  poor  Bumpus  had  been  thrown,  with  orders  to 
remain  concealed,  and  be  ready  to  embark  at  a  moment's 
notice. 

Soon  after  the  schooner  anchored,  the  boat  which  had 
been  sent  off  in  search  of  the  body  of  our  unfortunate  sea- 
man returned,  having  failed  to  discover  the  object  for 
which  it  had  been  sent  out. 

The  breeze  had  by  this  time  died  away  almost  entirely, 
BO  that  three  hours  elapsed  before  the  Talisman  rounded 
the  point,  stood  into  the  bay,  and  dropped  anchor  at  a 
distance  of  about  two  miles  from  the  suspected  schooner. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

EEMAKKABLE   DOINGS   OF  POOPT  —  EXTKAORDINAET   CASE   OF 
RESUSCITATION. 

It  is  time  now  to  return  to  our  unfortunate  friends, 
Corrie,  Alice,  and  Poopy,  who  have  been  left  long  enough 
exposed  on  the  summit  of  the  cliff,  from  which  they  nad 
expected  to  be  tossed  by  the  savages,  when  the  guns  of 
the  Talisman  so  opportunely  saved  them. 

The  reader  will  observe  that  these  incidents,  which 
have  taken  so  long  to  narrate,  were  enficted  in  a  very 
brief  space  of  time.  Only  a  few  hours  elapsed  between 
the  firing  of  the  broadside  already  referred  to  and  the 
anchoring  of  the  Talisman  in  the  bay,  where  the  Foam 
had  cast  anchor  some  time  before  her ;  yet  in  this  short 
space  of  time  many  things  occurred  on  the  island  which 
are  worthy  of  particular  notice. 

As  we  have  already  remarked,  Corrie  and  his  two  com- 
panions in  misfortune  had  been  bound,  and  in  this  condi- 
tion were  left  by  the  savages  to  their  fate.  Their  re- 
spective positions  were  by  no  means  enviable.  Poor 
Alice  lay  near  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  with  her  wrists 
and  ankles  so  securely  tied  that  no  effort  of  which  she 
was  capable  could  set  her  free.  Poopy  lay  about  ten 
yards  further  up  the  cliff,  flat  on  her  sable  back,  with  her 
hands  tied  behind  her,  and  her  ankles  also  secured  ;  so 
that  she  could  by  no  means  attain  to  a  sitting  position, 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.         153 

although  she  made  violent  and  extraordinary  efforts  to  do  so. 
We  say  extraordinary,  because  Poopy^  being  ingenious, 
hit  upon  many  devices  of  an  unheard  of  nature  to  accom- 
plish her  object.  Among  others,  she  attempted  to  turn 
heels  over  head,  hoping  thus  to  get  upon  her  knees  ;  and 
there  is  no  doubt  whatever  that  she  would  have  succeeded 
in  this  had  not  the  formation  of  the  ground  been  exceed- 
ingly unfavorable  for  such  a  manceuvre. 

Corrie  had  shown  such  an  amount  of  desperate  vin- 
dictiveness,  in  the  way  of  kicking,  hitting,  biting,  scratch- 
ing, and  pinching,  when  the  savages  were  securing  him, 
that  they  gave  him  five  or  six  extra  coils  of  the  rope  of 
coacoanut  fibre  with  which  they  bound  him.  Consequently 
he  could  not  move  any  of  his  limbs  ;  and  now  he  lay  on  his 
side  between  Alice  and  Poopy,  gazing  with  much  earnest- 
ness and  no  little  astonishment  at  the  peculiar  contortions 
of  the  latter. 

"  You'll  never  manage  it,  Poopy,"  he  remarked,  in  a 
sad  tone  of  voice,  on  beholding  the  poor  girl  balanced  on 
the  small  of  her  back,  preparatory  to  making  a  spring  that 
might  have  reminded  one  of  the  leaps  of  a  trout  when 
thrown  from  ita  native  element  upon  the  bank  of  a  river. 
"  And  you'll  break  your  neck  if  you  go  on  like  that,"  he 
added,  on  observing  that,  having  failed  in  these  attempts, 
she  recurred  to  the  heels-over-head  process ;  but  all  in 
vain. 

"  O  me  !  "  sighed  Poopy,  as  she  fell  back  in  a  fit  of  ex- 
haustion.    "  It's  be  all  hup  wid  us." 

"  Don't  say  that,  you  goose,"  whispered  Corrie;  "you'll 
frighten  Alice,  you  will." 

"  Will  me  ?  "  whispered  Poopy,  in  a  tone  of  self-re- 
proach ;  then  in  a  loud  voice,  "  oh,  no  !  it's  not  all  hup 
yet,  Miss  Alice.     See,  me  go  at  it  again." 


154  GASCOYNE, 

"  And  ''  go  at  it  "  she  did  in  a  way  that  actually  alaimed 
her  companions.  At  any  other  time  Corrie  would  have 
exploded  with  laughter,  but  the  poor  boy  was  thoroughly 
overwhelmed  by  the  suddenness  and  the  extent  of  his 
misfortune.  The  image  of  Bumpus,  disappearing  head- 
long over  that  terrible  cliff,  had  filled  his  heart  with  a 
feeling  of  horror  which  nothing  could  allay,  and  grave 
thoughts  at  the  desperate  case  of  poor  little  Alice  (tor  he 
neither  thought  of  nor  cared  for  Poopy  or  himself)  sank 
like  a  weight  of  lead  upon  his  spirit. 

"  Don't  try  it  any  more,  dear  Poopy,"  said  Alice,  en- 
treatingly ;  "  you'll  only  hurt  yourself  and  tear  your  frock. 
1  feel  sure  that  some  one  will  be  sent  to  deliver  us.  Don't 
you,  Corrie  ?  " 

The  tone  in  which  this  question  was  put  showed  that 
the  poor  child  did  not  feel  quite  so  certain  of  the  arrival 
of  succor  as  her  words  implied.  Corrie  perceived  this  at 
once,  and,  with  the  heroism  of  a  true  lover,  he  crushed 
back  the  feelings  of  anxiety  and  alarm  which  were  creep- 
ing over  his  own  stout  little  heart  in  spite  of  his  brave 
words,  and  gave  utterance  to  encouraging  expressions  and 
even  to  slightly  jovial  sentiments,  which  tended  very  much 
to  comfort  Alice,  and  Poopy  too. 

"  Sure  r  "  he  exclaimed,  rolling  on  his  other  side  to  obtain 
a  view  of  the  child  (for,  owing  to  his  position  and  his  fet- 
tered condition  he  had  to  turn  on  his  right  side  when  he 
wished  to  look  at  Poopy,  and  on  his  left  when  he  addressed 
himself  to  Alice).  "  Sure  ?  why,  of  course  I'm  sure. 
D'ye  think  your  father  would  leave  you  lying  out  in  the 
cold  all  night  ?  " 

"  No,  that  I  am  certain  he  would  not,"  cried  Alice,  enthu- 
Biastically ;  "  but,  then,  he  does  not  know  we  are  here,  and 
will  never  think  of  looking  for  us  in  such  an  unUkely  place." 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  155 

"  HuiJifh !  that  only  shows  your  ignorance,"  said  Corrie,. 

"  Well,  I  dare  say  I  am  very  ignorant,"  replied  Alice, 
meekly. 

"  No,  no !  I  don't  mean  that,'^  cried  Corrie,  with  a  feeling 
of  self-reproach.  "  I  don't  mean  to  say  that  you're  ignorant 
in  a  general  way,  you  know,  but  only  about  what  men  are 
likely  to  do,  d'ye  see,  when  they're  hard  put  to  it,  you  un- 
derstand. Our  feelings  are  so  different  from  yours,  you 
know,  and  —  and  —  " 

Here  Corrie  broke  down,  and  in  order  to  change  the  sub- 
ject abruptly  he  rolled  round  towards  Poopy,  and  cried, 
with  considerable  asperity : 

"  What  on  earth  d'ye  mean,  Kickup,  by  wriggling  about 
your  black  body  in  that  fashion  ?  If  you  don't  stop  it  you'll 
fetch  way  down  the  hill,  and  go  slap  over  the  precipice,  car- 
rying Alice  and  me  along  with  you.  Give  it  up  now ;  d'ye 
hear?" 

"  No,  me  wont,"  cried  Poopy,  with  great  passion,  while 
tears  sprang  from  her  large  eyes,  and  coursed  over  her  sa- 
ble cheeks.     "  Me  will  bu'st  dera  ropes." 

"  More  likely  to  do  that  to  yourself  if  you  go  on  like 
that,"  returned  Corrie.  "  But,  I  say,  Alice,  cheer  up  " 
(here  he  rolled  round  on  his  other  side)  ;  "  I've  been  pon- 
dering a  plan  all  this  time  to  set  us  free,  and  now  I'm  go- 
ing to  try  it.  The  only  bother  about  it  is  that  these  ras- 
cally savages  have  dropped  me  beside  a  pool  of  half  soft  mud 
that  I  cant  help  sticking  my  head  into  if  I  try  to  move." 

"  Oh  I  then,  don't  move,  dear  Corrie,"  said  Alice,  in  an 
imploring  tono  of  voice ;  "  we  can  lie  here  quite  comfort- 
ably till  papa  comes." 

"  Ah !  yes,"  said  Corrie,  "  that  reminds  me  that  I  was 
saying  we  meu  feel  and  act  so  differently  from  you  women. 
Now  it  strikes  me  that  your  father  will  go  to  all  the  most 


156  GASCOYNE, 

unlikely  jiarfs  of  the  island  first ;  knowin'  very  well  that 
niggers  don't  hide  in  likely  places.  But  as  it  may  be  a  long 
time  before  he  finds  us  "  (he  sighed  deeply  here,  not  feel- 
ing much  confidence  in  the  success  of  the  missionary's 
search)  ;  "  I  shall  tell  you  my  plan,  and  then  try  to  carry 
it  out."  (Here  he  sighed  again,  more  deeply  than  before ; 
not  feeling  by  any  means  confident  of  the  success  of  his  own 
efforts.) 

"And  what  is  your  plan?  "  inquired  Alice,  eagerly  ;  for 
the  child  had  unbounded  belief  in  Corrie's  ability  to  do  al- 
most anything  he  chose  to  attempt,  and  Corrie  knew  this, 
and  was  proud  as  a  peacock  in  consequence. 

"  I'll  get  up  on  my  knees,"  said  he,  "  and  then,  once  on 
them,  I  can  easily  rise  to  my  feet  and  hop  to  you,  and  free 
you." 

On  this  explanation  of  his  elaborate  and  difiicult  plan 
Alice  made  no  observation  for  some  time,  because,  even  to 
her  faculties  (which  were  obtuse  enough  on  mechanical 
matters),  it  was  abundantly  evident  that,  the  boy's  hands 
being  tied  firmly  behind  his  back,  he  could  neither  cut  the 
ropes  that  bound  her,  nor  untie  them. 

"  What  d'ye  think,  Alice  ?  " 

"  I  fear  it  won't  do  ;  your  hands  are  tied,  Corrie." 

*'  Oh !  that's  nothing.  The  only  difiiculty  is  how  to  get 
on  ray  knees." 

"  Surely  that  cannot  be  very  difficult,  when  you  talk  of 
getting  on  your  feet." 

"  Ila !  that  shows  you're  a I  mean,  d'ye  see,  that  the 

difficulty  lies  here ;  my  elbows  are  lashed  so  fast  to  my  side 
that  I  can't  use  them  to  prop  me  up ;  but  if  Poopy  will  roll 
down  the  hill  to  my  side,  and  shove  h'Br  pretty  shoulder 
under  my  buck  when  I  raise  it,  perhaps  I  may  succeed  in 
getting  up.     What  say  you,  Kickup  ?  " 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  11)7 

"  Hee  I  Ilee ! "  laughed  the  girl,  "  dat's  fuss  rate.  Look 
out  I " 

Poopy,  although  sluggish  by  nature,  was  rather  abrupt 
and  violent  in  her  impulses  at  times.  Without  further 
warning  than  the  above  brief  exclamation,  she  rolled  her- 
self tc  wards  Corrie  with  such  good-'vvill  that  she  went  quite 
over  him,  and  would  certainly  have  passed  onward  to  where 
Alice  lay  —  perhaps  over  the  cliff  altogether  — '  had  not  the 
boy  caught  her  sleeve  with  his  teeth,  and  held  her  fast. 

The  plan  was  eminently  successful.  By  a  series  of  jerks 
on  the  part  of  Corrie,  and  proppings  on  the  part  of  Poopy, 
the  former  was  enabled  to  attain  a  kneeling  position,  not, 
however,  without  a  few  failures,  in  one  of  which  he  fell 
forward  on  his  face,  and  left  a  deep  impression  of  his  fat 
little  nose  in  the  mud. 

Having  risen  to  his  feet,  Corrie  at  once  hopped  towards 
Alice,  after  the  fashion  of  those  country  wights  who  indulge 
in  sack  races,  and,  going  down  on  his  knees  beside  her,  be- 
gan diligently  to  gnaw  the  rope  that  bound  her  with  his 
teeth.  This  was  by  no  means  an  easy  or  a  quick  process. 
He  gnawed  and  bit  at  it  long  before  the  tough  rope  gave 
way.  At  length  Alice  was  freed,  and  she  immediately  set 
to  work  to  undo  the  fastenings  of  the  other  two ;  but  her  deli- 
cate fingers  were  not  well  suited  to  such  rough  work,  and 
a  considerable  time  elapsed  before  the  three  were  finally 
at  large. 

The  instant  they  were  so,  Corrie  said,  "  Now  we  must 
go  down  to  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  and  look  for  poor  Bumpus. 
Oh,  dear  me  !  I  doubt  he  is  killed." 

The  look  of  horror  which  all  three  cast  over  the  stupen- 
dous precipice  showed  that  they  had  Uttle  hope  of  ever 
again  seeing  their  rugged  friend  alive.  But,  without 
wasting  time  in  idle  remarks,  they  at  once  hastened  to  the 


158  GASCOYNE, 

foot  of  tlie  cliff  by  the  shortest  route  they  could  find.  Here, 
after  a  short  time,  they  discovered  the  object  of  their  so- 
licitude lying,  apparently  dead,  on  his  back  among  the 
rocks. 

When  Bumpus  struck  the  water,  after  being  tossed  over 
the  cliff,  his  head  was  fortunately  downward;  and  his  skull 
being  the  thickest  and  hardest  bone  in  his  body,  had  with- 
stood the  terrible  shock  to  which  it  had  been  subjected 
without  damage,  though  the  brain  within  was,  for  a  time, 
incapacitated  from  doing  duty.  When  John  rose  again  to 
the  surface,  after  a  descent  into  unfathomable  water,  he 
floated  there  in  a  state  of  insensibility.  Fortunately  the 
wind  and  tide  combined  to  wash  him  to  the  shore,  where  a 
higher  swell  than  usual  launched  him  among  the  coral 
rocks,  and  left  him  there,  with  only  his  feet  in  the  water. 

"  Oh !  here  he  is,  —  hurrah !  "  shouted  Corrie,  on  catch- 
ing sight  of  the  prostrate  form  of  the  seaman.  But  the 
boy's  manner  changed  the  instant  he  observed  the  color  of 
the  man's  face,  from  which  all  the  blood  had  been  driven, 
l-^aving  it  like  a  piece  of  brown  leather. 

"  He's  dead,"  said  Alice,  wringing  her  hands  in  de- 
spair. 

"P'raps  not,"  suggested  Poopy,  with  a  look  of  deep 
wisdom,  as  she  gazed  on  the  upturned  face. 

"  Anyhow,  we  must  haul  him  out  of  the  water,"  said 
Corrie,  whose  chest  heaved  with  the  effort  he  made  to 
repress  his  tears. 

Catching  up  one  of  Bumpus's  huge  hands,  the  boy  or- 
dered Alice  to  grasp  the  other.  Poopy,  without  waiting 
for  orders,  seized  hold  of  the  hair  of  his  head,  and  all 
three  began  to  haul  with  might  and  main.  But  they  might 
as  well  have  tried  to  j  ull  a  line-of-batile  ship  up  on  the 
phoi-e.     The  man's  bulky  form  was  immovable.     Seeing 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  159 

this,  they  changed  their  plan,  and,  all  three  grasping  his 
legs,  slewed  him  partially  round,  and  thus  drew  his  feet 
out  of  the  water. 

"  Now  we  must  warm  him,"  said  Corrie,  eagerly ;  foi*, 
the  first  shock  of  the  discovery  of  the  supposed  dead  body 
of  his  friend  being  over,  the  sanguine  boy  began  to  enter- 
tain hopes  of  resuscitating  him.  "  I've  heard  that  the 
best  thing  for  drowned  people  is  to  warm  them  :  so,  Alice, 
do  you  take  one  hand  and  arm,  Poopy  will  take  the  other, 
and  I  will  take  his  feet,  and  we'll  all  rub  away  till  we 
bring  him  to  ;  for  we  must,  we  shall  bring  him  round." 

Corrie  said  this  with  a  fierce  look  and  a  hysterical  sob. 
Without  more  words  he  drew  out  his  clasp-knife,  and,  rip- 
ping up  the  cuffs  of  the  man's  coat,  laid  bare  his  muscular 
arm.  Meanwhile  Alice  untied  his  neckcloth,  and  Poopy 
tore  open  his  Guernsey  frock  and  exposed  his  broad,  brown 
chest. 

"  We  must  warm  that  at  once,"  said  Corrie,  beginning 
to  take  off  his  jacket,  which  he  meant  to  spread  over  the 
seaman's  breast. 

"  Stay  !  my  petticoat  is  warmer,"  cried  Alice,  hastily  di- 
vesting herself  of  a  flannel  garment  of  bright  scarlet,  the 
brilliant  beauty  of  which  had  long  been  the  admiration  of 
the  entire  population  of  Sandy  Cove.  The  child  spread 
it  over  the  seaman's  chest,  and  tucked  it  carefully  down  at 
his  sides,  between  his  body  and  the  wet  garments.  Then 
the  three  sat  down  beside  him,  and,  each  seizing  a  limb, 
began  to  rub  and  chafe  with  a  degree  of  energy  that  noth- 
ing could  resist.  At  any  rate  it  put  life  into  John  Bum- 
pus  ;  for  that  hardy  mariner  gradually  began  to  exhibit 
Bigns  of  returning  vitality. 

"  There  he  comes  ! "  cried  Corrie,  eagerly. 

"  Eh  !  "  exclaimed  Poopy,  in  alarm. 


160  GASCC  rxE, 

"  Who  ?  where  ?  "  inquired  Alice,  who  thought  that  the 
boy  referred  to  some  one  who  had  unexpectedly  appeared 
on  the  scene. 

"  I  saw  him  wink  with  his  left  eye,  —  look  !  " 

All  three  suspended  their  labor  of  love,  and,  stretching 
forward  their  iieads,  gazed,  with  breathless  anxiety,  at  the 
clay-colored  face  of  Jo. 

"  I  must  have  been  mistaken,"  said  Corrie,  shaking  his 
head. 

"  Go  at  him  agin,"  cried  Poopy,  recommencing  her  work 
on  the  right  arm  with  so  much  energy  that  it  seemed  mar- 
vellous how  she  escaped  skinning  that  limb  from  fingers 
to  shoulder. 

Poor  Alice  did  her  best,  but  her  soft  little  hands  had  not 
much  effect  on  the  huge  mass  of  brown  flesh  they  manip- 
ulated. 

"  There  he  comes  again !  "  shouted  Come. 

Once  more  there  was  an  abrupt  pause  in  the  process, 
and  the  three  heads  were  bent  eagerly  foi-ward  watching 
for  symptoms  of  returning  life.  Corrie  was  right.  The 
seaman's  left  eye  quivered  for  a  moment,  causing  the 
hearts  of  the  three  childi-en  to  beat  high  with  hope.  Pres- 
ently the  other  eye  also  quivered ;  then  the  broad  chest 
rose  almost  imperceptibly,  and  a  faint  sigh  came  feebly 
and  broken  from  the  cold  blue  lips. 

To  say  that  the  three  children  were  delighted  at  this 
would  be  to  give  but  a  feeble  idea  of  the  state  of  their 
feelings.  Corrie  had,  even  in  the  short  time  yet  afibided 
him  of  knowing  Bumpus,  entertained  fur  him  feelings  of 
the  deepest  admiration  and  love.  Alice  and  Poopy,  out 
of  sheer  sympathy,  had  fallen  in  love  with  him  too,  at 
first  sight ;  .-o  that  his  horrible  death  (as  they  had  sup- 
posed), coupled  with  hi-s  unexpecled  restoration  and  revi- 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADEK.  161 

val  through  their  united  exertions,  drew  them  still  closer 
to  him,  and  created  within  them  a  sort  of  feeling  that  he 
must,  in  common  reason  and  justice,  regard  himself  as  their 
special  property  in  all  future  time.  When,  therefore,  they 
saw  him  wink,  and  heard  him  sigh,  the  gush  of  emotion 
that  filled  their  respective  bosoms  was  quite  overpowering. 
Corrie  gasped  in  his  effort  not  to  break  down  ;  Alice  wept 
with  silent  joy  as  she  continued  to  chafe  the  man's  limbs ; 
and  Poopy  went  off  into  a  violent  fit  of  hysterical  laugh- 
ter, in  which  her  "  hee,  hees "  resounded  with  terrible 
shrillness  among  the  surrounding  cliffs. 

"  Now,  then,  let's  to  work  again  with  a  will,"  said  Cor- 
rie.    "  What  d'ye  say  to  try  punching  him  ?  " 

This  question  he  put  gravely,  and  with  the  uncertain  air 
of  a  man  who  feels  that  he  is  treading  on  new  and  possi- 
bly dangerous  ground. 

"  What  is  punching  ?  "  inquired  Alice. 

"  Why,  that,^^  replied  the  boy,  giving  a  practical  and  by 
no  means  gentle  illustration  on  his  own  fat  thigh. 

"  Wouldn't  it  hurt  him  ?  "  said  Alice,  dubiously. 

"  Hurt  him  I  hurt  the  Grampus  !  "  cried  Corrie,  with  a 
look  of  surprise;  "you  might  as  well  talk  of  hurting  a 
hippopotamus.     Come,  I'll  try." 

Accordingly,  Corrie  tried.  He  began  to  bake  the  sea- 
man, as  it  were,  with  his  fists.  As  the  process  went  on  he 
ivarmed  to  the  work,  and  did  it  so  energetically,  in  his 
mingled  anxiety  and  hope,  that  it  assumed  the  character 
of  hitting  rather  than  punching  —  to  the  dismay  of  Alice, 
who  thought  it  impossible  that  any  human  being  could 
stand  such  dreadful  treatment. 

Whether  it  was  owing  to  this  process,  or  to  the  action 
of  nature,  or  to  the  combined  efforts  of  nature  and  his 
friends,  that  Lumpus  owed  his  recovery,  we  cannot  pre* 
11 


162  GASCOYNE, 

tend  to  say ;  but  certain  it  is,  that,  on  Ccrrle's  making  a 
severer  dab  than  usual  into  the  pit  of  the  seaman's  stom- 
ach, he  gave  a  gasp  and  a  sneeze,  the  latter  of  which 
almost  overturned  Poopy,  who  chanced  to  be  gazing 
wildly  into  his  countenance  at  the  moment.  At  the  same 
time  he  involuntarily  threw  up  his  right  arm,  and  fetched 
Corrie  such  a  tremendous  back-hander  on  the  chest  that 
our  young  hero  was  laid  flat  on  his  back,  half  stunned 
by  the  violence  of  the  fall,  yet  shouting  with  delight  that 
his  rugged  friend  still  lived  to  strike  another  blow. 

Having  achieved  this  easy  though  unintentional  victory, 
Bumpus  sighed  again,  shook  his  legs  in  the  air,  and  sat  up, 
gazing  before  him  with  a  bewildered  air,  and  gasping  from 
time  to  time  in  a  quiet  way. 

"Wot's  to  do?"  were  the  first  words  with  which  the 
restored  seaman  greeted  his  friends. 

"  Hurrah ! "  screamed  Corrie,  his  visage  blazing  with 
delight,  as  he  danced  in  front  of  him. 

"Werry  good,"  said  Bumpus,  whose  intellect  was  not 
yet  thoroughly  restored  ;  "  try  it  again." 

"  Oh,  how  cold  your  cheeks  are  ! "  said  Alice,  placing 
her  hands  on  them,  and  chafing  them  gently ;  then,  per- 
ceiving that  she  did  not  communicate  much  warmth  in  that 
way,  she  placed  her  own  fair,  soft  cheek  against  that  of  the 
sailor.  Suddenly  throwing  both  arms  round  his  neck,  she 
hugged  him,  and  burst  into  tears. 

Bumpus  was  somewhat  taken  aback  by  this  unexpected 
explosion ;  but,  being  an  affectionate  man  as  well  as  a  rug- 
ged one,  he  had  no  objection  wliatever  to  the  peculiar 
treatment.  He  allowed  the  cliild  to  sob  on  his  neck  as 
long  as  she  chose,  while  Corrie  stood  by,  with  his  hands  in 
his  pockets,  sailor-fashion,  and  looked  on  admiringly.  As 
for  Poopy,  bhe  sat  down  on  a  rock  a  short  wayofi',  and 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  163 

began  to  smile  and  talk  to  herself  in  a  manner  so  utterly 
idiotical  that  an  ignorant  observer  would  certainly  have 
judged  her  to  be  insane. 

They  were  thus  agreeably  employed,  when  an  event 
occurred  which  changed  the  current  of  their  thoughts,  and 
led  to  consequences  of  a  somewhat  serious  nature.  The 
event,  however,  was  in  itself  insignificant.  It  was  noth- 
mg  more  than  the  sudden  appearance  of  a  wild  pig  among 
the  bushes  close  at  hand. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A    WILD    CUASE  — HOPE,    DISAPPOINTMENT,   AND    DESPAIR  —  THB 
SANDAL-WOOD   TRADER   OUTWITS   THE   ilAN-OF-WAB. 

"When  the  wild  pig,  referred  to  in  the  last  chapter,  was 
first  observed,  it  was  standing  on  the  margin  of  a  thicket, 
from  which  it  had  just  issued,  gazing,  with  the  profoundly- 
philosophical  aspect  peculiar  to  that  animal,  at  our  four 
friends,  and  seeming  to  entertain  doubts  as  to  the  propriety 
of  beating  an  immediate  retreat. 

Before  it  had  made  up  its  mind  on  this  point,  Corrie'a 
eye  alighted  on  it. 

"  Hist !  "  exclaimed  he,  with  a  gesture  of  caution  to  his 
companions.  "  Look  there  !  We've  had  nothing  to  eat  for 
an  awful  time,  —  nothing  since  breakfast  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing. I  feel  as  if  my  interior  had  been  amputated.  Oh, 
what  a  jolly  roast  that  fellow  would  make  if  we  could  only 
kill  him ! " 

"Wot's  in  the  pistol?"  inquired  Bumpus,  pointing  to 
the  weapon  which  Corric  had  stuck  ostentatiously  into  his 
belt. 

"  Nothin',"  answered  the  boy.  "  I  fired  the  last  charge 
into  the  face  of  a  savage." 

"  Fling  it  at  him,"  suggested  Bumpus,  getting  cautiously 
up.  "  Here,  hand  it  to  me.  I've  seed  a  heavy  horse- 
pistol  like  that  do  great  execution  when  well  aimed  by  a 
Btout  arm." 


THE  SAKDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  165 

The  pig  seemed  to  have  an  intuitive  perception  that 
danger  was  approaching ;  for  it  turned  abruptly  round  just 
as  the  missile  left  the  seaman's  hand,  and  received  the  butt 
with  full  force  close  to  the  root  of  its  tail. 

A  pig's  tendency  to  shriek  on  the  receipt  of  the  slightest 
injury  is  well  known.  It  is  therefore  not  to  be  wondered 
at  that  this  pig  went  off  into  the  bushes  under  cover  of  a 
series  of  yells  so  terrific  they  might  have  been  heard  for 
miles  around. 

"I'll  after  him,"  cried  Bumpus,  catching  up  a  large 
Btone,  and  leaping  forward  a  few  paces  almost  as  actively 
as  if  nothing  had  happened  to  him. 

"  Hurrah !  "  shouted  Corrie ;   "  I'll  go  too." 

"  Hold  on,"  cried  Bumpus,  stopping  suddenly. 

"  Why  ?  "  inquired  the  boy. 

"  'Cause  you  must  stop  an'  take  care  of  the  gals.  It 
wont  do  to  leave  'em  alone  again,  you  know,  Corrie." 

This  remark  was  accompanied  with  an  exceedingly  huge 
wink,  full  of  deep  meaning,  which  Corrie  found  it  conve- 
nient not  to  notice,  as  he  observed,  gravely : 

"  Ah !  true.  One  of  us  must  remain  with  'em,  poor  help- 
less things  ;  so  —  so  you  had  better  go  after  the  squeaker.'* 

"  All  right,"  said  Bumpus,  with  a  broad  grin  —  "  Hallo  ! 
why,  here's  a  spear,  that  must  ha'  been  dropped  by  one  o' 
them  savages.  That's  a  piece  o'  good  luck,  anyhow,  as  the 
man  said  when  he  fund  the  fi'  pun'  note.  Now,  then,  keep 
an  eye  on  them  gals,  lad,  and  I'll  be  back  as  soon  as  ever 
I  can  ;  though  I  does  feel  rather  stiffish.  My  old  timbers 
aint  used  to  such  deep  divin',  d'ye  see." 

Bumpus  entered  the  thicket  as  he  spoke,  and  Corrie  re- 
turned to  console  the  girls  with  the  feeling  and  the  air  of 
a  man  whose  bosom  is  filled  with  a  stern  resolve  to  die,  if 
need  be,  in  the  discharge  of  an  important  duty. 


1G6  GASCOYXE, 

Now,  the  yell  of  tins  particular  pig  reached  other  ears 
besides  those  of  the  party  whose  doings  we  have  attempted 
to  describe.  It  rang  in  those  of  the  pirates,  who  had  been 
sent  ashore  to  hide,  lilie  the  scream  of  a  steam-whistle,  in 
consequence  of  their  being  close  at  hand,  and  it  sounded 
like  a  faint  cry  in  those  of  Henry  Stuart  and  the  mission- 
ary, who,  with  their  party,  were  a  long  way  off,  slowly 
tracing  the  footsteps  of  the  lost  Alice,  to  which  they  had 
been  guided  by  the  keen  scent  of  that  animated  scrap  of 
door-mat,  Toozle.  The  effect  on  both  parties  was  powerful, 
but  not  similar.  The  pirates,  supposing  that  a  band  of 
savages  were  near  them,  lay  close,  and  did  not  venture 
forth  until  a  prolonged  silence  and  strong  curiosity  tempted 
them  to  creep,  with  slow  movements  and  extreme  caution, 
towards  the  place  whence  the  sounds  proceeded. 

Mr.  Mason  and  Henry,  on  the  other  hand,  stopped  and 
listened  with  intense  earnestness,  expecting,  yet  fearing,  a 
recurrence  of  the  cry,  and  then  sprang  forward  with  their 
party,  under  the  belief  that  they  had  heard  the  voice  of 
Alice  caUing  for  help. 

Meanwhile,  Bumpus  toiled  up  the  slopes  of  the  moun- 
tain, keeping  the  pig  well  in  view ;  for  that  animal  having 
been  somewhat  injured  by  the  blow  from  the  pistol,  could 
not  travel  at  its  ordinary  speed.  Indeed,  Jo  would  have 
speedily  overtaken  it,  but  for  the  shaky  condition  of  his 
own  body  after  such  a  long  fast,  and  such  a  series  of  vio- 
lent shocks,  as  well  mental  as  physical. 

Having  gained  the  summit  of  a  hill,  the  pig,  much  ex- 
hausted, sat  down  on  its  hams,  and  gazed  pensively  at  the 
^'ound.  Bumpus  took  advantage  of  the  fact,  and  also  sat 
down  on  a  stone  to  rest. 

"Wot  a  brute  it  is,"  said  he  to  himself.  "I'll  circum- 
vent it  yet,  though." 


A    CHASE    FOR    A    DINNER. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  167 

Presently  he  rose,  and  made  as  if  he  had  abandoned  the 
chase,  and  were  about  to  return  the  way  he  had  come ; 
but,  when  he  had  effectually  concealed  himself  from  the 
view  of  the  pig,  he  made  a  wide  detour,  and,  coming  out 
suddenly  at  a  spot  higher  up  the  mountain,  charged  down 
upon  the  unsuspecting  animal  with  a  yell  that  would  have 
done  credit  to  itself. 

The  pig  echoed  the  yell,  and  rushed  down  the  hill 
towards  the  cliffs,  closely  followed  by  the  liardy  seaman, 
who,  in  the  ardor  of  the  chase,  forgot  or  ignored  his  aches 
and  pains,  and  ran  like  a  greyhound,  his  hair  streaming  in 
the  wind,  his  eyes  blazing  with  excitement,  and  the  spear 
ready  poised  for  a  fatal  dart.  Altogether,  he  was  so  wild 
and  strong  in  appearance,  and  so  furious  in  his  onset,  that 
it  was  impossible  to  believe  he  had  been  half  dead  little 
more  than  an  hour  before  ;  but  then,  as  we  have  before 
remarked,  Bumpus  was  hard  to  kill ! 

For  nearly  half  an  hour  did  the  hungry  seaman  keep  up 
the  chase,  neither  gaining  nor  losing  distance ;  while  the 
affrighted  pig,  having  its  attention  fixed  entirely  on  its 
pursuer,  scrambled  and  plunged  forward  over  every  imag- 
inable variety  of  ground,  receiving  one  or  two  severe  falls 
in  consequence.  Bumpus,  being  warned  by  its  fate,  es- 
caped them.  At  last  the  two  dashed  into  a  gorge  and  out 
at  the  other  end,  scrambled  through  a  thicket,  plunged  down 
a  hill,  and  doubled  a  high  rock,  on  the  other  side  of  which 
they  were  met  in  the  teeth  by  Henry  Stuart  at  the  head 
of  his  band. 

The  pig  attempted  to  double.  Failing  to  do  so,  it  lost 
its  footing,  and  fell  flat  on  its  side.  Jo  Bumpus  threw  his 
spear  with  violent  energy  deep  into  the  earth  about  two 
feet  beyond  it,  tripped  on  a  stump,  and  fell  headlong  on 
^he  top  of  the  pig,  squeezing  the  life  out  of  its  body  with 


1 C8  GASCOYNE, 

the  weight  of  his  ponderous  frame,  and  receiving  its  dying 
yell  into  his  very  bosom. 

"  Hilloa !  my  stalwart  chip  of  old  Neptune,"  cried 
Henry,  laughing,  *'  you've  bagged  him  this  time  effectu- 
ally. Hast  seen  any  of  the  niggers ;  or  did  you  mistake 
this  poor  pig  for  one  ?  "  : 

"  Ay,  truly,  I  have  seen  them,  and  given  a  few  of  'em 
marks  that  will  keep  'em  in  remembrance  of  me.  As  for 
this  pig,"  said  Jo,  throwing  the  carcass  over  his  shoulder, 
"  I  want  a  bit  of  suramat  to  eat  —  that's  the  fact ;  an'  the 
poor  children  will  be  —  " 

"  Children,"  cried  Mr.  Mason,  eagerly ;  "  what  do  you 
mean,  my  man ;  have  you  seen  any  ?  " 

"  In  course  I  has,  or  I  wouldn't  speak  of  'em,"  returned 
Jo,  who  did  not  at  first  recognize  the  missionary  ;  and  no 
wonder,  for  Mr.  Mason's  clothes  were  torn  and  soiled,  and 
his  face  was  bruised,  bloodstained,  and  haggard. 

"  Tell  me,  friend,  I  entreat  you,"  said  the  pastor,  ear- 
nestly, laying  his  hand  on  Jo's  arm ;  "  have  you  seen  my 
child?" 

"  Wot !  are  you  the  father  of  the  little  gal  ?  Why,  I've 
seed  her  only  half  an  hour  since.  But  hold  on,  lads ;  come 
arter  me,  an'  I'll  steer  you  to  where  she  is  at  this  moment.** 

"  Thanks  be  to  God,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  with  a  deep  sigh 
of  relief.     "  Lead  on,  my  man,  and,  pray,  go  quickly." 

Bumpus  at  once  led  the  way  to  the  foot  of  tl  e  cliffs,  and 
went  over  the  ground  at  a  pace  that  satisfic  d  even  the 
impatience  of  the  bereaved  father. 

While  this  was  occurring  on  the  mountai  i  slopes,  the 
pirates  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  had  discoveud  the  three 
children,  and,  finding  that  no  one  else  was  neur,  had  seized 
them  and  carried  them  off  to  a  cave  near  to  which  their 
boat   lay  on  the  rocks.     They  hoped  to  have  obtain*^ 


IHE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  169 

some  information  from  them  as  to  what  was  going  on  at 
the  other  side  of  the  island ;  but,  while  engaged  in  a  fruit- 
less attempt  to  screw  something  out  of  Corrie,  who  was 
peculiarly  refra»3torj,  they  were  interrupted,  first  by  the 
yells  of  Bumpus  and  his  pig,  and  afterwards  by  the  sudden 
appearance  of  Henry  and  his  party  on  the  edge  of  a  cliff  a 
short  way  above  the  spot  where  they  were  assembled.  On 
seeing  these,  the  pirates  started  to  their  feet  and  drew  their 
cutlasses,  while  Henry  uttered  a  shout  and  ran  down  the 
rocks  like  a  dear. 

"  Shall  we  have  a  stand-up  fight  with  *em,  Bill  ?  "  said 
one  of  the  pirates. 

"  Not  if  I  can  help  it ;  there's  four  to  one,"  replied  the 
other. 

"  To  the  boat,"  cried  several  of  the  men,  leading  the 
way  ;  "  and  let's  take  the  brats  with  us." 

As  Henry's  party  came  pouring  down  the  hill,  the  more 
combatively  disposed  of  the  pirates  saw  at  a  glance  that  it 
would  be  in  vain  to  attempt  a  stand.  They  therefore  dis- 
charged a  scattering  volley  from  their  pistols  (happily 
without  effect),  and,  springing  into  their  boat,  pushed  off* 
from  the  shore,  taking  the  children  along  with  them. 

Mr.  Mason  was  the  first  to  gain  the  beach.  He  had  hit 
upon  a  shorter  path  by  which  to  descend,  and,  rushing 
forward,  plunged  into  the  sea.  Poor  little  Alice,  who  at 
once  recognized  her  father,  stretched  out  her  arms  towards 
him,  and  would  certainly  have  leaped  into  the  sea  had  she 
not  been  forcibly  detained  by  one  of  the  pirates,  whose 
special  duty  it  was  to  hold  her  with  one  hand,  while  he 
restrained  the  violent  demonstrations  of  Corrie  with  the 
other. 

The  father  was  too  late,  however.  Already  the  boat 
was  se  reral  j  ards  i Vom  the  shore,  and  the  frantic  efforts 


no  GASCOY.^, 

he  niao/e,  in  the  madness  of  his  despair,  to  overtake  it.  only 
served  to  exhaust  him.  When  Henry  Stuart  reached  the 
beach,  it  was  with  difTiculty  he  prevented  those  members 
of  his  band  who  carried  muskets  from  firing  on  the  boat. 
None  of  them  thought  for  a  moment,  of  course,  of  making 
the  mad  attempt  to  swim  towards  her.  Indeed,  Mr.  Mason 
himself  would  have  hesitated  to  do  so  had  he  been  capable 
of  cool  thought  at  the  time ;  but  the  sudden  rush  of  hope 
when  he  heard  of  his  child  being  near,  combined  with  the 
agony  of  disappointment  on  seeing  her  torn,  as  it  were, 
out  of  his  very  grasp,  was  too  much  for  him.  His  reason- 
mg  powers  were  completely  overturned ;  he  continued  to 
buffet  the  waves  with  wild  energy,  and  to  strain  every 
fibre  of  his  being  in  the  effort  to  propel  himself  through  the 
water,  long  after  the  boat  was  hopelessly  beyond  reach. 

Henry  understood  his  feelings  well,  and  knew  that  the 
poor  missionary  would  not  cease  his  efforts  until  exhaustion 
should  compel  him  to  do  so,  in  which  case  his  being 
drowned  would  be  a  certainty ;  for  there  was  neither  boat 
nor  canoe  at  hand  in  which  to  push  off  to  his  rescue. 

In  these  circumstances,  the  youth  took  the  only  course 
that  seemed  left  to  him.  He  threw  off  his  clothes,  and 
prepared  to  swim  after  his  friend,  in  order  to  render  the 
assistance  of  his  stout  arm  when  it  should  be  needed. 

"  Here,  Jakolu ! "  he  cried  to  one  of  the  natives  who 
stood  near  him. 

"  Yes,  mass'r,"  answered  the  sturdy  young  fellow,  wlio 
has  been  introduced  at  an  earlier  part  of  this  story  as  being 
one  of  the  missionary's  best  behaved  and  most  active 
church  members. 

"  I  mean  to  swim  after  him ;  so  I  leave  the  charge  of  the 
party  to  Mr.  Bunipus  there.  You  will  act  under  his  or- 
ders.    Keep  the  men  together,  and  guard  against  surprise. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  171 

We  don't  know  how  many  more  of  these  blackguards  may 
be  lurking  among  the  rocks." 

To  this  speech  Jakolu  replied  by  shaking  his  head  slowly 
and  gravely,  as  if  he  doubted  the  propriety  of  his  young 
commander's  intentions. 

"  You  no  can  sweem  queek  nuff  to  save  him,"  said  he. 

"That  remains  to  be  seen,"  retorted  Henry,  sharply; 
for  the  youth  was  one  of  the  best  swimmers  on  the  island, 
—  at  least  the  best  among  the  whites,  and  better  than 
many  of  the  natives,  although  some  of  the  latter  could  beat 
him.  "  At  any  rate,"  he  continued,  "  you  would  not  have 
me  stand  idly  by  while  my  friend  is  drowning,  would 
you?" 

"  Him's  not  drownin'  yet,"  answered  the  matter-of-fact 
native.  "  Me  'vise  you  to  let  Jakolu  go.  Hims  can 
sweem  berer  dan  you.  See,  here  am  bit  plank,  too,  —  me 
take  dat." 

"  Ha !  that's  well  thought  of,"  cried  Henry,  who  was 
now  ready  to  plunge ;  "  fetch  it  me,  quick ;  and  mind, 
Jakolu,  keep  your  eye  on  me ;  when  I  hold  up  both  hands 
you'll  know  that  I'm  dead  beat,  and  that  you  must  come 
off  and  help  us  both." 

So  saying,  he  seized  the  small  piece  of  drift-wood  which 
the  native  brought  to  him,  and,  plunging  into  the  sea, 
struck  out  vigorously  in  the  direction  in  which  the  pastor 
was  still  perseveringly,  though  slowly,  swimming. 

While  Henry  was  stripping,  his  eye  had  quickly  and 
intelligently  taken  in  the  facts  that  were  presented  to  him 
on  the  bay.  He  had  seen,  on  descending  the  hill,  that  the 
man-of-war  had  entered  the  bay  and  anchored  there,  a  fact 
which  surprised  him  greatly,  and  that  the  Foam  still  lay 
where  he  had  seen  her  cast  anchor  on  the  morning  of  lier 
Bi" rival.     This  surprised  him  more     for,  if  the  latter  was 


T72  GASCOYNE, 

really  a  pirate  schooner  (as  had  been  hinted  more  than 
once  that  day  by  various  members  of  the  settlement),  why 
did  she  remain  so  fearlessly  and  peacefully  within  range 
of  the  guns  of  so  dangerous  and  powerful  an  enemy  ?  He 
also  observed  that  one  of  the  large  boats  of  the  Talisman 
was  in  the  water  alongside,  and  full  of  armed  men,  as  if 
about  to  put  off  on  some  warlike  expedition,  while  his 
pocket  telescope  enabled  him  to  perceive  that  Gascoyne, 
who  must  needs  be  the  pirate  captain,  if  the  suspicions  of 
his  friends  were  correct,  was  smoking  quietly  on  the 
quarter-deck,  apparently  holding  amicable  converse  with 
the  British  commander.  The  youth  knew  not  what  to 
think ;  for  it  was  preposterous  to  suppose  that  a  pirate 
captain  could  by  any  possibility  be  the  intimate  friend  of 
his  own  mother. 

These  and  many  other  conflicting  thoughts  kept  rushing 
through  his  mind  as  he  hastened  forward  ;  but  the  conclu- 
sions to  which  they  led  him  —  if,  indeed,  they  led  him  to 
any  —  were  altogether  upset  by  the  unaccountable  and 
extremely  piratical  conduct  of  the  seamen  who  carried  off 
Alice  and  her  companions,  and  whom  he  knew  to  be  part 
of  the  crew  of  the  Foam,  both  from  their  costume  and 
from  the  direction  in  which  they  rowed  their  little  boat. 

The  young  man's  perplexities  were,  however,  neutral- 
ized for  the  time  by  his  anxiety  for  his  friend  the  pastor, 
and  by  the  necessity  of  instant  and  vigorous  effort  for  his 
rescue.  He  had  just  time,  before  plunging  into  the  sea,  to 
note  with  satisfaction  that  the  man-of-war's  boat  had 
pushed  off,  and  that  if  Alice  really  was  in  the  hands  of 
pirates,  there  was  the  certainty  of  her  being  speedily  res- 
cued. 

In  this  latter  supposition,  however,  Henry  was  mis- 
taken. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TKADIR.  173 

TJie  events  on  shore  which  we  have  just  described,  had 
been  witnessed,  of  course,  by  the  crews  of  both  vessels, 
with,  as  may  be  easily  conjectured,  very  different  feelings. 

In  the  Foam,  the  few  men  who  were  lounging  about  the 
deck  looked  uneasily  from  the  war  vessel  to  the  counte- 
nance of  Manton,  in  whose  hands  they  felt  that  their  fate 
now  lay.  The  object  of  their  regard  paced  the  deck 
slowly,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets  and  a  pipe  in  his 
mouth,  in  the  most  listless  manner,  in  order  to  deceive 
the  numerous  eyes  which  he  knew  full  well  scanned  his 
movements  with  deep  curiosity.  The  frowning  brow  and 
the  tightly  compressed  lips  alone  indicated  the  storm  of 
anger  which  was  in  reality  raging  in  the  pirate's  breast  at 
what  he  deemed  the  obstinacy  of  his  captain  in  running 
into  such  danger,  and  the  folly  of  his  men  in  having  shown 
fight  on  shore  when  there  was  no  occasion  for  doing  so. 
But  Manton  was  too  much  alive  to  his  own  danger  and 
interests  to  allow  passion  at  such  a  critical  moment  to  in- 
terfere with  his  judgment.  He  paced  the  deck  slowly,  as 
we  have  said,  undecided  as  to  what  course  he  ought  to 
pursue,  but  ready  to  act  with  the  utmost  energy  and 
promptitude  when  the  time  for  action  should  arrive. 

On  board  the  Talisman,  on  the  other  hand,  the  young 
commander  began  to  feel  certain  of  his  prize  ;  and  when 
he  witnessed  the  scuffle  on  shore,  the  flight  of  the  boat's 
crew  with  the  three  young  people,  and  the  subsequent 
events,  he  could  not  conceal  a  smile  of  triumph  as  he 
turned  to  Gascoyne  and  said : 

"  Your  men  are  strangely  violent  in  their  proceedings, 
sir,  for  the  crew  of  a  peaceable  trader.  If  it  were  not  that 
they  are  pulling  straight  for  your  schooner,  where,  no 
doubt,  they  will  be  received  with  open  arms,  I  would  ha/e 
fancied  they  had  been  part  of  the  crew  of  that  wonderful 


174  GASCOYJTE, 

pirate,  who  seems  tc  be  able  to  change  color  ahnost  as 
quickly  as  he  changes  position" 

The  allusion  had  no  effect  whatever  on  the  imperturbable 
Gascoyne,  on  whose  countenance  good  humor  seemed  to 
have  been  immovably  enthroned ;  for  the  wor=e  his  case 
became,  the  more  amiable  and  satisfied  was  his  aspect. 

"  Surely,  Captain  Montague  does  not  hold  me  respon- 
sible for  the  doings  of  my  men  in  my  absence,"  said  he, 
calmly.  "  I  have  already  said  that  they  are  a  wild  set  — 
not  easily  restrained  even  when  I  am  present  ;  and  fond 
of  getting  into  scrapes  when  they  can.  You  see,  we  have 
not  a  choice  of  men  in  these  out-of-the  way  parts  of  the 
world." 

"  Apparently  not,"  returned  Montague ;  "  but  I  hope  to 
have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  order  your  men  to  be 
punished  for  their  misdeeds  ;  for,  if  not,  I  shall  be  under 
the  necessity  of  punishing  them  for  you.  Is  the  boat 
ready,  Mr.  Mulroy  ?  " 

"It  is,  sir." 

"  Then,  Mr.  Gascoyne,  if  you  will  do  me  the  favor  to 
step  into  this  boat,  I  will  have  much  pleasure  in  accom- 
panying you  on  board  your  schooner." 

"  ^y  all  means,"  replied  Gascoyne,  with  a  bland  smile, 
as  he  rose  and  threw  away  the  end  of  another  cigar,  after 
having  lighted  therewith  the  sixth  or  seventh  in  which  he 
had  indulged  that  day.  "  Your  boat  is  well  manned,  and 
your  men  are  well  armed.  Captain  Montague ;  do  you  go 
on  some  cutting-out  expedition,  or  are  you  so  much 
alarmed  at  the  terrible  aspect  of  the  broadside  of  my  small 
craft  that  — " 

Gascoyne  here  smiled  with  ineffable  urbanity,  and 
bowed  slightly  by  way  of  finishing  his  sentence.  Mon- 
tague was  saved  the  annoyance  of  having  to  reply,  by  a 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  175 

sudden  exclamation  from  his  lieutenant,  who  was  observ- 
ing the  schooner's  boat  through  his  telescope. 

"There  seems  to  be  some  one  swimming  after  that 
boat,"  said  he.  "  A  man  —  evidently  a  European,  for  he 
is  light-colored.  He  must  have  been  some  time  in  the 
water,  for  he  is  already  a  long  way  from  shore,  and  seems 
much  exhausted." 

"  Why !  the  man  is  drowning,  I  believe,"  cried  Montague, 
quickly,  as  he  looked  through  the  glass. 

At  that  moment  Frederick  Mason's  strength  had  given 
way.  He  made  one  or  two  manful  efforts  to  struggle  after 
the  retreating  boat,  and  then,  tossing  his  arms  in  the  air, 
uttered  a  loud  cry  of  agony. 

"  Ho  !  shove  off  and  save  him ! "  shouted  Montague,  the 
moment  he  heard  it.  "  Look  alive,  lads  !  give  way  !  and 
when  you  have  picked  up  the  man,  pull  straight  for  yonder 
schooner." 

The  oars  at  once  fell  into  the  water  with  a  splash,  and 
the  boat,  large  and  heavy  though  it  was,  shot  from  the  ship's 
side  like  an  arrow. 

"  Lower  the  gig,"  cried  the  captain.  "  And  now,  Mr. 
Gascoyne,  since  you  seem  disposed  to  go  in  a  lighter  boat, 
T  will  accommodate  you.     Pray,  follow  me." 

In  a  few  seconds  they  were  seated  in  the  little  gig,  which 
seemed  to  fly  over  the  sea  under  the  vigorous  strokes  of 
her  crew  of  eight  stout  men.  So  swift  were  her  motions 
that  she  reached  the  side  of  the  schooner  only  a  few  min- 
utes later  than  the  Foam's  boat,  and  a  considerable  time 
before  his  own  large  boat  had  picked  up  Mr.  Mason,  who 
was  found  in  an  almost  insensible  condition,  supported  by 
Henry  Stuart. 

When  the  gig  came  within  a  short  distance  of  the  Foam, 
Gascoyne  directed  Montague's  attention  to  the  proceedings 


176  GASCOYNE. 

of  the  large  boat,  and  at  the  same  instanr  made  a  privato 
signal  with  his  right  hand  to  Manton,  who,  still  unmoved 
and  inactive,  stood  at  the  schooner's  bow  awaiting  and 
evidently  expecting  it. 

"  Ha  !  "  said  he  aloud  ;  "  I  thought  as  much.  Now,  lads, 
show  the  red  ;  make  ready  to  slip  ;  off  with  Long  Tom's 
nightcap ;  let  out  the  skulkers  ;  take  these  children  down 
below,  and  a  dozen  of  you  stand  by  to  receive  the  captain 
and  his  friends.^' 

These  somewhat  peculiar  orders,  hurriedly  given,  were 
hastily  obeyed,  and  in  a  few  seconds  more  the  gig  of  the 
Talisman  ranged  up  alongside  of  the  Foam. 


CHAPTER  XVn. 


THE  ESCAPE. 


The  instant  that  Captain  Montague  stepped  over  tKj 
Bide  of  the  schooner,  a  handkerchief  was  pressed  tightlj 
over  his  mouth  and  nose.  At  the  same  time,  he  was 
seized  by  four  strong  men  and  rendered  utterly  powerless. 
The  thing  was  done  so  promptly  and  silently,  that  tne 
men  who  remained  in  the  gig  heard  no  unusual  sound. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  treat  a  guest  so  roughly,  C.  ^am  Mon- 
tague," said  Gascoyne,  in  a  low  tone,  as  the  unfortunate 
officer  was  carried  aft ;  "  but  the  safety  of  my  vessel  re- 
quires it.  They  will  carry  you  to  my  stateroom,  where 
you  will  find  my  steward  exceedingly  attentive  and  oblig- 
ing ;  but,  let  me  warn  you,  he  is  peculiarly  ready  with  the 
butt  end  of  his  pistol  at  times,  especially  when  men  are 
inclined  to  make  unnecessary  noise."  He  turned  on  his 
heel  as  he  said  this,  and  went  forward,  looking  over  the 
side  in  passing  and  telling  the  creVv'  of  the  gig  to  remain 
where  they  were  till  their  captain  should  call  them. 

This  order  the  men  felt  constrained  to  obey,  although' 
they  were  surprised  that  the  captain  himself  had  not  given 
it  on  quitting  the  boat ;  their  suspicions  were  further 
awakened  by  the  active  operations  going  on  upon  deck. 
The  sounds  apprized  them  of  these,  for  the  bulwarks  hid 
everything  from  view.  At  length,  when  they  heard  the 
cable  sHpping  through  the  liawse-hole,  they  could  stand  it 


178  GASCOTXE, 

no  longer,  but  sprang  up  the  side  in  a  body.  Of  course 
they  were  met  by  men  well  prepared.  As  they  were 
armed  only  with  cutlasses,  the  pirates  quickly  overcame 
them,  and  threw  them  into  the  sea. 

All  further  attempt  at  concealment  was  now  aban- 
doned. The  man-of-war's  boat,  when  it  came  up,  was 
received  with  a  shot  from  Long  Tom,  which  grazed  its 
side,  carried  away  four  of  the  starboard  oars,  and  just 
missed  dashing  it  to  pieces  by  a  mere  hairsbreadth.  At 
the  same  time  the  sails  of  the  schooner  v/ere  shaken  out 
and  filled  by  the  light  breeze,  which,  for  nearly  an  hour, 
had  been  blowing  off  shore. 

As  the  coming  up  of  the  gig  and  the  large  boat  had 
occurred  on  that  side  of  the  schooner  that  was  furthest 
from  the  Talisman,  those  on  board  of  the  latter  vessel 
could  not  make  out  clearly  what  had  occurred.  That  the 
schooner  was  a  pirate  was  now  clearly  evident ;  for  the 
red  griffin  and  stripe  were  suddenly  displayed,  as  well  as 
the  blood-red  flag  ;  but  the  first  lieutenant  did  not  dare  to 
fii-e  on  her  while  the  boats  were  so  near.  He  slipped  the 
cable,  however,  and  made  instant  sail  on  the  ship ;  and 
when  he  saw  the  large  boat  and  the  gig  drop  astern  of 
the  schooner,  the  former  in  a  disabled  condition,  he  com- 
menced firing  as  fast  as  he  could  load ;  not  doubting  that 
tis  captain  was  in  his  own  boat. 

At  such  short  range  the  shot  flew  aroun(?  the  pirate 
^Schooner  like  hail ;  but  she  appeared  to  bear  a  charmed 
existence ;  for,  although  they  whistled  between  her  spars 
and  struck  the  sea  all  around  her,  very  few  indeed  did 
her  serious  damage.  The  shots  from  Long  Tom,  on  thf» 
other  hand,  were  well  aimed,  and  told  with  terrible  effect 
on  the  hull  and  rigging  of  the  frigate.  Gascoyne  himself 
pointed  the  gun,  and  his  briglit  eye  flashed,  and  a  grim 


THE  SAXDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  179 

emile  played  on  his  lips  as  the  shots  whistled  round  his 
head. 

The  pirate  captain  seemed  to  be  possessed  by  a  spirit 
of  fierce  and  reckless  joviality  that  day.  His  usual  calm, 
self-possessed  demeanor  quite  forsook  him.  He  issued  his 
orders  in  a  voice  of  thunder  and  with  an  air  of  what,  for 
want  of  a  better  expression,  we  may  term  ferocious  hearti- 
ness. He  generally  executed  these  orders  himself,  hurl- 
ing the  men  violently  out  of  his  way  as  if  he  were  indig- 
nant at  their  tardiness,  although  they  sprang  to  obey  as 
actively  as  usual ;  indeed,  more  so,  foi  they  were  overawed 
and  somewhat  alarmed  by  this  unwonted  conduct  on  the 
part  of  their  captain. 

The  fact  was,  that  Gascoyne  had  for  a  long  time  past 
desired  to  give  up  his  course  of  life  and  amend  his  ways  ; 
but  he  discovered,  as  all  wicked  men  discover  sooner  or 
later,  that,  while  it  is  easy  to  plunge  into  evil  courses,  it  is 
by  no  means  easy  —  on  the  contrary  it  is  extremely  diffi- 
cult—  to  give  them  up.  He  had  formed  his  resolution 
and  had  laid  his  plans ;  but  all  had  miscarried.  Being  a 
man  of  high  temper ;  he  had  been  driven  almost  to  desper- 
ation, and  sought  relief  to  his  feehngs  in  physical  exertion. 

Of  all  the  men  in  the  Avenger,  however,  no  one  was  so 
much  alarmed  by  the  captain's  conduct  as  the  first  mate, 
between  whom  and  Gascoyne  there  had  been  a  bitter  feel- 
ing for  some  time  past;  and  Manton  knew  (at  least  ho 
believed)  that  it  would  be  certain  death  to  him  if  he  should 
chance  to  thwart  his  superior  in  the  mood  in  which  h*? 
then  was. 

"  That  was  a  good  shot,  Manton,"  said  Gascoyne,  with 
a  wild  laugh,  as  the  fore-topsail  yard  of  the  Talisman 
came  rattling  down  on  the  deck,  having  been  cut  away  by  a 
shot  from  Lons  Tom. 


180  GASCOVNE, 

"  It  was  ;  but  that  was  a  belter  one,"  said  Manton,  point- 
ing to  the  boom  of  the  schooner's  mainsail,  which  was  out 
in  two  by  a  round  shot,  just  as  the  captain  spoke. 

"  Good,  very  good,"  observed  the  latter,  with  an  approv- 
ing nod ;  "  but  that  alters  the  game.  Down  with  the  helm ! 
steady !  " 

"  Get  the  wreck  of  that  boom  cleared  away,  Manton ;  we 
wont  want  the  mainsail  long.  Here  comes  a  squall.  Look 
sharp.     Close  reef  topsails." 

The  boom  was  swaying  to  and  fro  so  violently  that 
three  of  the  men  who  sprang  to  order  were  hurled  by  it 
into  the  lee  scuppers.  Gascoyne  darted  towards  the  broken 
spar  and  held  it  fast,  while  Manton  quickly  severed  the 
ropes  that  fastened  it  to  the  sail  and  to  the  deck,  then  the 
former  hurled  it  over  the  side  with  as  much  ease  as  if  it 
had  been  an  oar. 

"  Let  her  away  now." 

"  "Why,  that  will  run  us  right  into  the  Long  Shoal  1 " 
exclaimed  Manton,  anxiously,  as  the  squall  which  had 
been  approaching  struck  the  schooner  and  laid  her  almost 
on  her  beam  ends. 

"  I  know  it,"  replied  Gascoyne,  curtly,  as  he  thrust  aside 
the  man  at  the  wheel  and  took  the  spokes  in  his  own  hands. 

"  It's  all  we  can  do  to  find  our  way  through  that  place 
in  fine  weather,"  remonstrated  the  mate. 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Gascoyne,  sternly. 

Scraggs,  who  chanced  to  be  standing  by,  seemed  to  be 
immensely  delighted  with  the  alarmed  expression  on  Man- 
ton's  face.  The  worthy  second  mate  hated  the  first  mate 
so  cordially,  and  attached  so  little  value  to  his  own  life, 
that  he  would  willingly  have  run  the  schooner  on  the 
rocks  altogether,  just  to  have  the  pleasure  of  laughing 
contemptuously  at  the  wreck  of  Manton's  hopes. 


TIIE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  181 

"  It's  worth  while  trying  it,"  suggested  Scraggs,  with  a 
malicious  grin. 

"  I  mean  to  try  it,"  said  Gascoyne,  calmly. 

"  But  there's  not  a  spot  in  the  shoal  except  the  Eel's 
Gate  that  we've  a  ghost  of  a  chance  of  getting  through," 
cried  Manton,  becoming  excited  as  the  schooner  dashed 
towards  the  breakers  like  a  furious  charger  rushing  on 
destruction. 

"I  know  it." 

"And  there's  barely  water  on  that  to  float  us  over,"  he 
added,  striding  forward,  and  laying  a  hand  on  the  wheel. 

"  Half  a  foot  too  little,"  said  Gascoyne,  with  forced 
calmness. 

Scraggs  grinned. 

"  You  shan't  run  us  aground  if  I  can  prevent  it,"  cried 
Manton,  fiercely,  seizing  the  wheel  with  both  hands  and 
attempting  to  move  it,  in  which  attempt  he  utterly  failed ; 
and  Scraggs  grinned  broader  than  ever. 

"  Remove  your  hands,"  said  Gascoyne,  in  a  low,  calm 
voice,  which  surprised  the  men  who  were  standing  near 
and  witnessed  these  proceedings. 

"  I  wont.  Ho,  lads  !  do  you  wish  to  be  sent  to  the 
bottom  by  a  — " 

The  remainder  of  this  speech  was  cut  short  by  the  sud- 
den descent  of  Gascoyne's  knuckles  on  the  forehead  of  the 
mate,  who  dropped  on  the  deck  as  if  he  had  been  felled 
with  a  sledge-hammer.  Scraggs  laughed  outright  with 
Batisfaction. 

"  Remove  him,"  said  Gascoyne. 

"  Overboard  ?  "  inquired  Scraggs,  with  a  bland  smile. 

"B^iow,"  said  the  captain;  and  Scraggs  was  fain  to 
content  himself  with  carrying  the  insensible  form  of  his 
superior   officer  to  his   berth;  taking   pains,  however,  to 


182  GASCOYXE, 

bump  his  head  carefully  against  every  spar  and  corner 
and  otherwise  convenient  projection  on  the  way  do\^n. 

In  a  few  minutes  more  the  schooner  was  rushing  through 
the  milk-white  foam  that  covered  the  dangerous  coral 
reef  named  the  Long  Shoal ;  and  the  Talisman  lay  to,  not 
daring  to  venture  into  such  a  place,  but  pouring  shot  and 
shell  into  her  bold  little  adversary  with  terrible  effect, 
as  the  tattered  sails  and  flying  cordage  showed.  The  fire 
was  steadily  replied  to  by  Long  Tom,  whose  heavy  shots 
came  crashing  repeatedly  through  the  hull  of  the  man-of- 
war. 

The  large  boat,  meanwhile,  had  been  picked  up  by  the 
Talisman,  after  having  rescued  Mr.  Mason  and  Henry, 
both  of  whom  were  placed  in  the  gig.  This  light  boat 
was  now  struggling  to  make  the  ship ;  but,  owing  to  the 
strength  of  the  squall,  her  diminished  crew  were  unable  to 
effect  this  ;  they  therefore  ran  ashore,  to  await  the  issue 
of  the  fight  and  the  storm. 

For  some  time  the  Avenger  stood  on  her  wild  course 
unharmed,  passing  close  to  huge  rocks  on  either  side  of 
her,  over  which  the  sea  burst  in  clouds  of  foam.  Gascoyne 
still  stood  at  the  wheel,  guiding  the  vessel  with  consum- 
mate skill  and  daring,  while  the  men  looked  on  in  awe 
and  in  breathless  expectation,  quite  regardless  of  the  shot 
which  flew  around  them,  and  altogether  absorbed  by  the 
superior  danger  by  which  they  were  menaced. 

The  surface  of  the  sea  was  so  universally  white,  that 
there  was  no  line  of  dark  water  to  guide  the  pirate  cap- 
tain on  his  bold  and  desperate  course.  He  was  obliged  to 
trus.  almost  entirely  to  his  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
coast,  and  to  the  occasional  patches  in  the  surrounding 
waste  where  the  comparative  flatness  of  the  be  iling  flood 
indicated  less  shallow  water      As  the  danger    increased, 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TKADER.  183 

the  smile  left  Gascoyne's  lips;  but  the  flashing  of  his 
bright  eyes  and  his  deepened  color  showed  that  the  spirit 
boiled  within  almost  as  wildly  as  the  ocean  raged  around 
him. 

The  centre  of  the  shoal  was  gained,  and  a  feeling  of 
hope  and  exultation  began  to  rise  in  the  breasts  of  the 
crew,  when  a  terrific  shock  caused  the  little  schooner  to 
quiver  from  stem  to  stern,  while  an  involuntary  cry  burst 
from  the  men,  many  of  whom  were  thrown  violently  on  the 
deck.  At  the  same  time  a  shot  from  the  Talisman  came 
in  through  the  stern  bulwarks,  struck  the  wheel,  and  car- 
ried it  away,  with  part  of  the  tackle  attached  to  the  tiller. 

"  Another  leap  like  that,  lass,  and  you're  over,"  cried 
Gascoyne,  with  a  light  smile,  as  he  sprang  to  the  iron  tiller, 
and,  seizing  it  with  his  strong  hands,  steered  the  schooner 
as  if  she  had  been  a  boat. 

"  Get  new  tackle  rove,  Scraggs,"  said  he,  cheerfully. 
"  I'll  keep  her  straight  for  Eel's  Gate  with  this.  That 
was  the  first  bar  of  the  gate  ;  there  are  only  two  alto- 
gether, and  the  second  wont  be  so  bad." 

As  the  captain  spoke,  the  schooner  seemed  to  recover 
from  the  shock,  and  again  rushed  forward  on  her  foaming 
course ;  but  before  the  men  had  time  to  breathe,  she 
struck  again,  —  this  time  less  violently,  as  had  been  pre- 
dicted, —  and  the  next  wave  lifting  her  over  the  shoal, 
launched  her  into  deep  water. 

"There,  that  will  do,"  said  Gascoyne,  resigning  the 
helm  to  Scraggs.  "  You  can  keep  her  as  she  goes :  there's 
plenty  of  water  now,  and  no  fear  of  that  big  bully  follow- 
ing us.  Meanwhile,  I  will  go  below,  and  see  to  the  wel- 
fare of  our  passengers." 

Gascoyne  was  wrong  in  suj^posing  that  the  Talisman 
would  not  follow.     She  could  not  indeed  follow  in  the  same 


184  GASCOTNE. 

course ;  but  the  moment  that  Mulroy  observed  that  the 
pirate  had  passed  the  shoals  in  safety,  he  stood  inshore, 
and,  without  waiting  to  pick  up  the  gig,  traversed  the 
channel  by  which  they  had  entered  the  bay.  Then,  trust- 
ing to  the  lead  and  to  his  knowledge  of  the  general  ap- 
pearance of  shallows,  he  steered  carefully  along  until  he 
cleared  the  reefs,  and  finally  stood  out  to  sea. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  afterwards,  the  party  on  shore 
beheld  the  two  vessels  disappear  among  the  black  storm- 
clo  ids  that  gathered  over  the  distant  horizon. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  goat's  pass  — an  ATTACK,  A  BLOODLESS  VICTORY,   AND 
A  SERMON, 

When  Ole  Thorwald  was  landed  at  the  foot  of  that 
wild  gorge  in  the  cliffs  which  have  been  designated  the 
Goat's  Pass,  he  felt  himself  to  be  an  aggrieved  man,  and 
growled  accordingly. 

"  It's  too  bad  o'  that  fire-eating  fellow  to  fix  on  me  for 
this  particular  service,"  said  he  to  one  of  the  settlers  named 
Hugh  Barnes,  a  cooper,  who  acted  as  one  of  his  captains ; 
"  and  at  night,  too ;  just  as  if  a  man  of  my  years  were  a 
cross  between  a  cat  (which  everybody  knows  can  see  in 
the  dark)  and  a  kangaroo,  which  is  said  to  be  a  powerful 
leaper,  though  whether  in  the  dark  or  the  light  I  don't 
pretend  to  know,  not  being  informed  on  the  point.  Have 
a  care,  Hugh.  It  seems  to  me  you're  going  to  step  into  a 
quarry  hole,  or  over  a  precipice.  How  my  old  flesh  quakes, 
to  be  sure !  If  it  was  only  a  fair  flat  field  and  open  day, 
with  any  odds  you  like  against  me,  it  would  be  nothing ; 

but  this  abominable  Goat's Hah !  I  knew  it.    Help  ! 

hold  on  there  !  murder !  " 

Ole's  sudden  alarm  was  caused  by  his  stumbling  in  the 
dark  over  the  root  of  a  shrub  which  grew  on  the  edge  of, 
and  partly  concealed,  a  precipice,  over  which  he  was  pre- 
cipitated, and  at  the  foot  of  which  his  mangled  and  lifeless 
form  would  soon  have  reposed,  had  not  his  warlike  forR- 


186  G  ASCOT  XE, 

fathers,  being  impressed  witli  the  advantage  of  wearing 
strong  sword-belts,  furnished  the  sword  which  01c  wore 
with  such  a  belt  as  was  not  only  on  all  occasions  sufficient 
to  support  the  sword  itself,  but  which,  on  this  particular 
occasion,  was  strong  enough  to  support  its  owner  when  he 
was  suspended  from,  and  entan^^^lcd  with,  the  shrubs  of  the 
cliff. 

A  ray  of  light  chanced  to  break  into  the  dark  chasm  at 
the  time,  and  revealed  all  its  dangers  to  the  pendulous 
Thorwald  so  powerfully  that  he  positively  howled  with 
horror. 

The  howl  brought  Hugh  and  several  of  his  followers 
to  his  side,  and  they  with  much  difficulty,  for  he  was  a 
heavy  man,  succeeded  in  dragging  him  from  his  danger* 
ous  position  and  placing  him  on  his  feet,  in  which  position 
he  remained  for  some  time,  speechless  and  blowing. 

"  Now,  I'll  tell  ye  what  it  is,  boys,"  said  he  at  length, 
"  if  ever  you  catch  me  going  on  an  expedition  of  this  sort 
again,  flay  me  alive  —  that's  all ;  don't  spare  me.  Pull 
off  the  cuticle  as  if  it  were  a  glove ;  and  if  I  roar  don't 
mind,  —  that's  what  I  say." 

Having  said  this,  the  veteran  warrior  smiled  a  ghastly 
smile,  as  if  the  idea  of  being  so  excruciatingly  treated 
were  rather  pleasant  than  otherwise. 

"  You're  not  hurt,  I  hope  ?  "  inquired  Hugh. 

•'  Hurt !  yes,  I  am  hurt,  —  hurt  in  my  feelings,  not  in 
my  body,  thanks  to  my  good  sword  and  belt ;  but  my  feel- 
ings are  injured.  That  villain,  th:it  rascal,  that  pirate  — 
as  I  verily  believe  him  to  be  —  selected  me  especially  for 
this  service,  I  am  persuaded,  just  because  he  knew  me  to 
be  unfit  for  it.  Bali !  but  111  pay  him  off  for  it.  Come, 
boys,  ibrward,  —  perhaps,  in  the  circumstances,  it  would  be 
more  appropi'ia' e  to  say,  upward !     We  must  go  through 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER  187 

witL  it  now,  as  our  retreat  13  cut  off.  Lead  the  way,  Hugh  ; 
your  eyes  are  younger  and  sharper  than  mine ;  and  if  you 
chance  to  fall  over  a  cliff,  pray  give  a  yell,  like  a  good  fel- 
low, so  that  I  may  escape  your  sad  fate." 

In  the  course  of  half  an  hour's  rough  scramble,  the  party 
gained  the  crest  of  the  Goat's  Pass  and  descended  in  rear 
of  the  native  village.  The  country  over  which  they  had 
to  travel,  however,  was  so  broken  and  so  beset  with  rugged 
masses  of  rock  as  to  retard  their  progress  considerably, 
besides  causing  them  to  lose  their  way  more  than  once. 
It  was  thus  daybreak  before  they  reached  tlie  heights  that 
overlooked  the  village  ;  and  the  shot  from  the  Avenger, 
with  the  broadside  from  the  frigate,  was  delivered  just  as 
they  began  to  descend  tie  hill. 

Ole,  therefore,  pushed  on  with  enthusiasm  to  attack  the 
village  in  rear ;  but  he  had  not  advanced  half  a  mile  when 
the  peculiar  and  to  him  inexplicable  movements  of  the  two 
vessels,  which  have  been  already  described,  took  place, 
leaving  the  honest  commander  of  the  land  forces  in  a  state 
of  great  perplexity  as  to  what  was  meant  by  his  naval 
allies,  and  in  much  doubt  as  to  what  he  ought  to  do. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  he  to  his  chiefs,  in  a  hastily-sum- 
moned council  of  war,  "  that  we  are  all  at  sixes  and  sev- 
ens. I  don't  understand  what  manoeuvres  these  naval  men 
are  up  to,  and  I  doubt  if  they  know  themselves.  This 
being  the  case,  and  the  fleet,  if  I  may  so  name  it,  having 
run  away,  it  behooves  us,  my  friends,  to  show  these  sailors 
how  we  soldiers  do  our  duty.  I  would  advise,  therefore, 
that  we  should  attack  at  once.  But  as  we  are  not  a  strong 
party,  and  as  w^  know  not  how  strong  the  savages  may  be, 
I  think  it  my  duty,  before  leading  you  on,  to  ask  your 
opinions  on  the  point." 

The  officers  whose  opiaions  were  thus  asked  were  Hugh 


1  ^8  GASCOYXE, 

Barnes  already  mentioned,  Terence  Hlgg  the  bla.  ksmith 
of  the  settlement,  and  John  Thomson  the  carpenter.  These, 
being  strong  of  body,  powerful  of  will,  and  intelligent 
withal,  had  been  appointed  to  the  command  of  companies, 
and  when  on  duty  were  styled  "  captain  "  by  their  com- 
manding officer,  who  was,  when  on  duty,  st}  led  "  general " 
by  them. 

Ole  Thorwald,  be  it  remarked  in  passing,  was  a  soldier 
at  heart.  Having  gone  through  a  moderate  amount  of 
military  education,  and  possessing  considerable  talent  in 
the  matter  of  drill,  he  took  special  pride  in  training  the 
natives  and  the  white  men  of  the  settlement  to  act  in  con- 
cert and  according  to  fixed  principles.  The  consequence 
was,  that,  although  his  men  were  poorly  armed,  he  had 
them  in  perfect  command,  and  could  cause  them  to  act 
unitedly  at  any  moment. 

The  captains  having  been  requested  to  give  their  opin- 
ions. Captain  Rigg,  being  senior,  observed  that  he  was  for 
"  goin'  at  'em  at  wance,  neck  or  nothing ; "  to  which  war- 
like sentiment  he  gave  a  peculiar  emphasis  by  adding,  "an* 
no  mistake,"  in  a  very  decided  tone  of  voice. 

"  That's  wot  I  says  too.  General,"  said  Captain  Thom- 
son, the  carpenter. 

Captain  Barnes  being  of  the  same  opinion.  General 
Thorwald  said : 

"  Well,  then,  gentlemen,  we  shall  attack  without  delay ; " 
and  proceeded  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements. 

When  the  Talisman  fired  her  broadside  of  blank  cart^ 
ridge  at  the  native  village,  there  was  not  a  solitary  war- 
rior in  it  —  only  aged  men,  women,  and  children.  These, 
filled  with  unutterable  consternation  on  hearing  the  thun- 
derous discharge,  sent  up  one  yell  of  terror  and  forthwith 
took  to  their  heels  and  made  for  the  hills  en  masse,  never 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  1B9 

once  looking  behind  them,  and,  therefore,  remaining  in 
ignorance  of  the  ulterior  proceedings  of  the  ship. 

It  was  some  tim^e  before  they  came  in  sight  of  Ole  Thor- 
wald  and  his  men. 

The  moment  they  did  so  Ole  gave  the  word  to  charge ; 
and,  whirling  his  sword  round  his  head,  set  the  example. 
The  men  followed  with  a  yell.  The  poor  savages  turned 
at  once  and  fled,  —  such  of  them  at  least  as  were  not 
already  exhausted  by  their  run  up  hill, —  and  the  rest, 
consisting  chiefly  of  old  men  and  children,  fell  on  their 
knees  and  faces  and  howled  for  mercy. 

As  soon  as  the  charging  host  became  aware  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  enemy,  they  came  to  a  sudden  halt. 

"  Sure,  it's  owld  men  and  women  we're  about  to  kill !  " 
cried  Captain  Rigg,  lowering  his  formidable  forehammer, 
with  which,  in  default  of  a  better  weapon,  he  had  armed 
himself;  "but,  hooray,  Gineral!  there  may  be  lots  o'  the 
warrior  reptiles  in  among  the  huts,  and  them  poor  craturs 
have  been  sent  out  to  deceive  us." 

"That's  true.  Forward,  my  lads!"  shouted  Ole,  and 
again  the  army  charged ;  nor  did  they  stop  short  until 
they  had  taken  possession  of  the  village,  when  they  found 
that  all  the  fighting  men  were  gone. 

This  being  happily  accomplished  without  bloodshed,  Ole 
Thorwald,  like  a  wise  general,  took  the  necessary  steps  to 
insure  and  complete  his  conquest.  He  seized  all  the 
women  and  children,  and  shut  them  up  in  a  huge  temple 
built  of  palm  trees  and  roofed  with  broad  leaves.  This 
edifice  was  devoted  to  the  horrible  practice  of  cutting  up 
human  bodies  that  were  intended  to  be  eaten. 

Ole  had  often  heard  of  the  cannibalism  that  is  practised 
by  most  of  the  South  Sea  islanders,  though  some  tribes  are 
worse  than  others ;  but  lie  had  never  before  this  day  come 


1^0  GASCOYNE, 

directly  in  contact  with  it.  Here,  however,  there  could  be 
no  doubt  whatever  of  the  fact.  Portions  of  human  bodies 
were  strewn  about  this  hideous  temple,  —  some  parts  in  a 
raw. and  bloody  condition,  as  if  they  had  just  been  cut  from 
a  lately  slain  victim ;  others  in  a  baked  state,  as  if  ready  to 
form  part  of  some  terrible  banquet. 

Sick  at  heart,  Ole  Thorwald  turned  from  this  sight  with 
loathing.  Concluding  that  the  natives  who  practised  such 
things  could  not  be  very  much  distressed  by  being  shut  up 
for  a  time  in  a  temple  dedicated  to  the  gratification  of 
their  own  disgusting  tastes,  he  barricaded  the  entrance 
securely,  placed  a  guard  over  it,  and  hurried  away  to  see 
that  two  other  buildings,  in  which  the  remainder  of  the 
women  and  children  had  been  imprisoned,  were  similarly 
secured  and  guarded.  Meanwhile  the  stahvart  knight  of 
the  forehammer,  to  whom  the  duty  had  been  assigned, 
placed  sentries  at  the  various  entrances  to  the  village,  and 
disposed  his  men  in  such  a  way  as  to  prevent  the  possibil- 
ity of  being  taken  by  surprise. 

These  various  arrangements  were  not  made  a  moment 
too  soon.  The  savages,  as  we  have  said  in  a  former  chap- 
ter, rushed  towards  their  village  from  ail  quarters,  on 
hearing  the  thunder  of  the  great  guns.  They  were  now 
arriving  in  scores,  and  came  rushing  over  the  brow  of  the 
neighboring  hill,  and  down  the  slopes  that  rose  immedi- 
ately in  rear  of  their  rude  homes. 

On  finding  that  the  place  was  occupied  by  their  enemies, 
tliey  set  up  a  yell  of  despair,  and  retired  to  a  neighboring 
height,  where  Ole  could  see,  by  their  wild  gesticulations, 
that  they  were  hotly  debating  what  should  be  done.  It 
soon  became  evident  that  an  attack  would  be  made ;  for,  as 
their  comrades  came  pouring  in,  the  party  from  the  settle- 
ment was  soon  greatly  cutnumbcred. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  191 

Seeing  this,  and  knowing  that  the  party  under  command 
of  Henry  Stuart  would  naturally  hasten  to  his  aid  as  £oon 
as  possible,  Ole  sought  to  cause  delay  by  sending  out  a 
flag  of  truce. 

The  natives  had  been  so  long  acquainted  with  the  cus- 
toms of  the  Europeans  that  they  understood  the  meaning 
of  this,  and  the  chief  of  the  tribe,  at  once  throwing  down 
his  club,  advanced  fearlessly  to  meet  the  Christian  native 
sent  out  with  the  flag. 

The  message  was  to  the  effect  that  if  they,  the  enemy, 
should  dare  to  make  an  attack,  all  the  women  and  children 
then  in  the  hands  of  the  settlers  should  have  their  heads 
chopped  off  on  the  spot ! 

This  was  a  startling  announcement,  and  one  so  directly 
in  opposition  to  the  known  principles  of  the  Christians, 
that  the  heathen  chief  was  staggered,  and  turned  pale.  He 
returned  to  his  comrades  with  the  horrifying  message, 
which  seemed  to  them  all  utterly  unaccountable.  It  was 
quite  natural  for  themselves  to  do  such  a  deed,  because 
they  held  that  all  sorts  of  cruelties  were  just  in  war.  Bui 
their  constant  experience  had  been  that,  when  a  native  be- 
came a  follower  of  the  Christian  missionary,  from  that 
moment  he  became  merciful,  especially  towards  the  weak 
and  helpless.  Counting  upon  this,  they  were  stunned  as 
well  as  astonished  at  Thorwald's  message  ;  for  they  be- 
lieved implicitly  that  he  meant  to  do  what  he  threatened: 
They  did  not  know  that  Ole,  although  a  worthy  man,  was 
not  so  earnest  a  believer  in  all  Mr.  Mason's  principles  but 
that  he  could  practise  on  their  credulity  in  time  of  need. 
Like  the  missionary,  he  would  rather  have  died  than  have 
sacrificed  the  life  of  a  woman  or  child  ;  but,  unlike  him,  he 
had  no  objection  to  deceive  in  order  to  gain  time. 

As  it  turned  out,  his  threat  was  unnecessary,  for  Henry 


192  GASCOTNE, 

and  his  men  were  close  at  band ;  and  before  the  natives 
could  make  up  their  minds  what  to  do,  the  whole  band 
came  pouring  over  the  hill,  with  Jo  Bumpus  far  ahead  of 
the  rest,  leaping  and  howling  like  a  maniac  with  excite- 
ment. 

This  decided  the  natives.  They  were  now  outnumbered 
and  surrounded.  The  principle  chief,  therefore,  advanced 
towards  Bumpus  with  a  piece  of  native  cloth  tied  to  the 
end  of  his  war-club,  which  he  brandished  furiously  by  way 
of  making  it  plain  that  his  object  Avas  not  war,  but  peace  ! 

Naturally  enough,  the  seaman  misinterpreted  the  signal, 
and  there  is  no  doubt  that  he  would  have  planted  his 
knuckles  on  the  bridge  of  the  nose  of  the  swarthy  canni- 
bal had  not  Henry  Stuart  made  use  of  his  extraordinary 
powers  of  speed.  He  darted  forward,  overtook  Jo,  and, 
grasping  liim  round  the  neck  with  both  arms,  shouted: 

"  It's  a  flag  of  truce,  man ! " 

"  You  don't  say  so  ?  —  well,  who'd  ha'  thought  it  ?  It 
don't  look  like  one ;  so  it  don't." 

"With  this'  remark,  Jo  subsided  into  a  peaceable  man. 
Pulling  a  quid  out  of  his  pocket,  he  thrust  it  into  his  cheek, 
and,  crossing  his  arms  on  his  breast,  listened  patiently  — 
though  not  profitably,  seeing  that  he  did  not  understand  a 
word  —  to  the  dialoguge  that  followed. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  poor  Mr.  Mason,  after  being 
saved  by  Henry,  was  taken  into  the  gig  of  the  Talisman 
and  put  ashore.  After  the  two  vessels  had  disappeared, 
as  has  been  already  described,  Henry  at  once  led  his  party 
towards  the  native  village,  knowing  that  Ole  Thorwald 
would  require  support,  all  the  more  that  the  ship  had 
failed  to  fulfil  her  part  in  the  combined  movement. 

As  the  almost  heartbroken  father  had  no  power  to  ren- 
der further  aid  to  his  lost  child,  he  suffered  Ijimself  to  be 


THE  SA^T)AL-WOOD  TRADER.  193 

led,  in  a  half-bewildered  state,  along  with  the  attacking 
party  under  his  young  friend.  He  was  now  brought  for- 
ward to  parley  with  the  native  chief. 

The  missionary's  manner  and  aspect  at  once  changed. 
In  the  hope  of  advancing  the  cause  of  his  Master,  he  for- 
got, or  at  least  restrained,  his  own  grief  for  a  time. 

"  What  would  the  chief  say  to  the  Christians  ?  "  he  be- 
gan, on  being  confronted  with  the  savage  and  some  of  his 
warriors  who  crowded  round  him. 

"  That  he  wishes  to  have  done  with  war,"  replied  the 
man. 

"  That  is  a  good  wish ;  but  why  did  the  chief  begin 
war?" 

"  Keona  began  it !  "  said  the  savage,  angrily.  "  We 
thought  our  wars  with  the  Christians  were  going  to  stop. 
But  Keona  is  bad.    He  put  the  war  spirit  into  my  people." 

Mr.  Mason  knew  this  to  be  true. 

"  Then/'  said  he,  "  Keona  deserves  punishment." 

"  Let  him  die,"  answered  the  chief;  and  an  exclamation 
of  assent  broke  from  the  other  natives.  Keona  himself, 
happening  to  be  there,  became  pale  and  looked  anxious ; 
but  remained  where  he  stood,  nevertlieless,  with  his  arms 
crossed  on  his  dark  breast.  A  bandage  of  native  cloth 
was  tied  round  his  wounded  arm.  Without  saying  a  word 
he  undid  this,  tore  it  off,  and  allowed  the  blood  to  ooze 
from  the  reopened  wound. 

It  was  a  silent  appeal  to  the  feelings  and  the  sense  of 
justice  of  his  comrades,  and  created  a  visible  impression  in 
his  favor. 

"  That  wound  was  received  by  one  who  would  have 
been  a  murderer  ! "  said  Mr.  Mason,  observing  the  effect 
of  this  action. 

*^  He  struck  me ! "  cried  Keona,  fiercely. 
13 


194  GASCOYNE, 

"  He  struck  you  in  defending  his  own  home  against  a 
cowardly  attack,"  answered  the  missionary. 

At  this  point  Ole  Thorwald  saw  fit  to  interfere.  See- 
ing that  the  natives  were  beginning  to  argue  the  case,  and 
knowing  that  no  good  could  come  from  such  a  course,  he 
quietly  observed : 

"  There  will  be  neither  wife  nor  child  in  this  place  if  I 
do  but  hold  up  my  hand." 

The  missionary  and  his  party  did  not,  of  course,  under- 
stand this  allusion,  but  they  understood  the  result ;  for  the 
savages  at  once  dropped  their  tones,  and  the  chief  sued 
earnestly  for  peace. 

"  Chiefs  and  warriors,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  raising  his  hand 
impressively,  "  I  am  a  man  of  peace,  and  I  serve  the 
Prince  of  peace.  To  stop  this  war  is  what  I  desire  most 
earnestly ;  and  I  desire  above  all  things  that  you  and  I 
might  henceforth  live  in  friendship,  serving  the  same  God 
and  Saviour,  whose  name  is  Jesus  Christ.  But  your  ways 
are  not  like  our  ways.  If  I  leave  you  now,  I  fear  you 
will  soon  find  another  occasion  to  renew  the  war,  as  you 
have  often  done  before.  I  have  you  in  ray  power-  now. 
If  you  were  to  fight  with  us  we  could  easily  beat  you,  be- 
cause we  are  stronger  in  numbers  and  well  armed.  Yes, 
I  have  you  in  my  power,  and,  with  the  blessing  of  my 
God,  I  will  keep  you  in  my  power /orever." 

There  was  a  visible  fall  in  the  countenances  of  the  sav- 
ages, who  regarded  this  strange  announcement  as  their 
death-warrant.  Some  of  them  even  grasped  their  clubs, 
and  looked  fiercely  at  their  enemies ;  but  a  glance  from  Ole 
Thorwald  quieted  these  restive  spirits. 

"  Now,  chiefs  and  warriors,  I  have  two  intentions  in  re- 
gard to  you,"  continued  Mr.  Mason.  "  The  one  is  that 
you  shall  take  j  our  clubs,  spears,  and  other  weapons,  and 


rHE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  195 

lay  them  iii  a  pile  on  this  mound,  after  which  I  will  Diake 
you  march  unarmed  before  us  half  way  to  our  settlement. 
From  that  point  you  shall  return  to  your  homes.  Thus 
you  shall  be  deprived  of  the  power  of  treacherously  break- 
ing that  peace  which  you  know  in  your  hearts  you  would 
break  if  you  could. 

"  My  second  intention  is  that  the  whole  of  your  tribe  — 
men,  women,  and  children  —  shall  now  assemble  at  the 
foot  of  this  mound  and  hear  what  I  have  got  to  say  to  you. 
The  first  part  of  this  plan  I  shall  carry  out  by  force,  if 
need  be.  But  for  the  second  part,  /  must  have  your 
own  consent.  I  may  not  force  you  to  listen  if  you  are  nut 
willing  to  hear." 

At  the  mention  of  the  women  and  children  being  re- 
quired to  assemble  along  with  them,  the  natives  pricked 
up  their  ears,  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  they  willingly 
agreed  to  listen  to  all  that  the  missionary  had  to  say  to 
them. 

This  being  settled,  and  the  natives  knowing,  from  former 
experience,  that  the  Christians  never  broke  faith  with 
them,  they  advanced  to  the  mound  pointed  out  and  threw 
down  their  arms.  A  strong  guard  was  placed  over  these  ; 
the  troops  of  the  settlement  were  disposed  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  their  being  recovered, 
and  then  the  women  and  children  were  set  free. 

It  was  a  noisy  and  remarkable  meeting  that  which  took 
place  between  the  men  and  women  of  the  tribe  on  this  oc- 
casion ;  but  soon  surprise  and  expectation  began  to  take 
the  place  of  all  other  feelings  as  the  strange  intentions  of 
the  missionary  were  spoken  of,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
Mr.  Mason  had  a  lai-ge  and  most  attentive  congregation 

Never  before  had  the  missionary  secured  such  an  oppor- 
tunity.     His  eccentric  method  of  obtaining  a  hearing  had 


196  GASCOYNE. 

succeeded  beyond  his  expectations.  With  a  heart  over- 
flowing with  gratitude  to  God,  he  stood  up  and  began  to 
preach  the  gospel. 

Mr.  Mason  was  not  only  eccentric,  but  able  and  wise. 
He  made  the  most  of  his  opportunity.  He  gave  them  a 
very  long  sermon  that  day  ;  but  he  knew  that  the  savages 
were  not  used  to  sermons,  and  that  they  would  not  think 
it  long.  His  text  was  a  double  one,  —  "  The  soul  that 
sinneth  it  shall  die,"  and  "Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved." 

He  preached  that  day  as  a  man  might  who  speaks  to  his 
hearers  for  the  first  and  last  time,  and,  in  telling  of  the 
goodness,  the  mercy,  and  the  love  of  God,  the  bitter  grief 
of  his  own  heart  was  sensibly  abated. 

After  his  discourse  was  over  and  prayer  had  been 
offered  up,  the  savage  warriors  were  silently  formed  into 
a  band  and  marched  off  in  front  of  the  Christians  to  the 
spot  where  Mr.  Mason  had  promised  to  set  them  free. 
They  showed  no  disinclination  to  go.  They  believed  in 
the  good  faith  of  their  captors.  The  missionary  had,  in- 
deed, got  them  into  his  power  that  day.  Soma  of  them  he 
had  secuied/orcv^r/ 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

SOKROW  AND   STMPA'PHY  —  THE  WIDOW  BECOMES  A   PIKADER, 
AND  HER  SON  ENGAGES   IN  A   SINGLE  COMBAT. 

There  are  times  in  the  life  of  every  one  when  the 
heart  seems  unable  to  bear  the  load  of  sorrow  and  suffer- 
ing that  is  laid  upon  it,  —  times  when  the  anguish  of  the 
soul  is  such  that  the  fair  world  around  seems  enshrouded 
with  gloom,  when  the  bright  sun  itself  appears  to  &hine  in 
mockery,  and  when  the  smitten  heart  refuses  to  be  com- 
forted. 

Such  a  time  was  it  with  poor  Frederick  Mason  when, 
after  his  return  to  Sandy  Cove,  he  stood  alone,  amid  the 
blackened  ruins  of  his  former  home,  gazing  at  the  spot 
which  he  knew,  from  the  charred  remnants  as  well  as  its 
position,  was  the  site  of  the  room  which  had  once  been 
occupied  by  his  lost  child. 

It  was  night  when  he  stood  there.  The  silence  was 
profound,  for  the  people  of  the  settlement  sympathized  so 
deeply  with  their  beloved  pastor's  grief  that  even  the  or- 
dinary hum  of  life  appeared  to  be  hushed,  except  now  and 
then  when  a  low  wail  would  break  out  and  float  away  on 
the  night  wind.  These  sounds  of  woe  were  full  of  mean- 
ing. They  told  that  there  were  other  mourners  there  that 
night,  —  that  the  recent  battle  had  not  been  fought  with- 
out producing  some  of  the  usual  bitter  fruits  of  war.  Be- 
loved, but  dead  and  mangled  forms,  lay  in  more  than  one 
hut  in  Sandy  Cove. 


198  gascotnt:, 

Motionless,  hopeless,  the  missionary  stood  amid  the 
charred  beams  and  ashes,  until  the  words  "  Call  upon  me 
in  the  day  of  trouble  and  I  will  deliver  thee,  and  thou 
Bhalt  glorify  me,"  descended  on  his  soul  like  sunshine  upon 
ice.  A  suppressed  cry  burst  from  his  lips,  and,  falling  on 
his  knees,  he  poured  forth  his  soul  in  prayer. 

While  he  was  yet  on  his  knees,  a  cry  of  anguish  arose 
fi'om  one  of  the  huts  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  It  died  away 
in  a  low,  heart-broken  wail.  Mr.  Mason  knew  its  mean- 
ing well.  That  cry  had  a  special  significance  to  him.  It 
spoke  reproachfully.  It  said,  "  There  is  comfort  for  you, 
for  where  life  is  there  is  hope ;  but  here  there  is  death'' 

Again  the  word  of  God  came  to  his  memory,  —  "  Weep 
with  them  that  weep."  Starting  up  hastily,  the  mission- 
ary sprang  over  the  black  beams,  and  hurried  down  the 
hill,  entered  the  village,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of  the 
remainder  of  that  night  in  comforting  the  bereaved  and 
the  wounded. 

The  cause  of  the  pastor's  grief  was  not  removed  thereby, 
but  the  sorrow  itself  was  lightened  by  sympathy ;  and 
when  he  returned,  at  a  late  hour,  to  his  temporary  home, 
hope  had  begun  to  arise  within  his  breast. 

The  widov/'s  cottage  afforded  him  shelter.  When  he 
entered  it,  Henry  and  his  mother  were  seated  near  a  small 
table  on  which  supper  was  spread  for  their  expected  guest. 

"Tom  Armstrong  will  recover,"  said  the  missionary, 
seating  himself  opposite  the  widow,  and  speaking  in  a 
hurried,  excited  tone.  "  His  wound  is  a  bad  one,  given  by 
a  war-club,  but  I  think  it  is  not  dangerous.  I  wish  I  could 
say  as  much  for  poor  Simon.  If  he  had  been  attended  to 
sooner  he  might  have  lived ;  but  so  much  blood  has  been 
ah'eady  lost  that  there  is  now  no  hope.  Alas  for  his  lit* 
Ic  boy  !     He  will  be  an  orphan  soon.    Poor  Hardy's  wife 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  199 

is  distracted  with  grief.  Her  young  husband's  body  is  so 
disfigured  with  cuts  and  bruisos  that  it  is  dreadful  to  look 
upon  ;  yet  she  wiU  not  leave  the  room  in  which  it  lies,  nor 
cease  to  embrace  and  cling  to  the  mangled  corpse.  Poor, 
poor  Lucy !  she  will  have  to  be  comforted.  At  present 
she  must  be  left  with  God.  Ko  human  sympathy  can 
avail  just  now ;  but  she  must  be  comforted  when  she  will 
permit  any  one  to  speak  to  her.  You  will  go  to  her  to- 
morrow, Mrs.  Stuart,  wont  you.'"' 

As  this  was  Mr.  Mason's  first  meeting  with  the  widow 
since  the  Sunday  morning  when  the  village  was  attacked, 
his  words  and  manner  showed  that  he  dreaded  any  allu- 
sion to  his  own  loss.  The  widow  saw  and  understood  this ; 
but  she  had  consolation  for  him  as  well  as  for  others,  and 
would  not  allow  him  to  have  his  way. 

"  But  what  of  Alice  ?  "  she  said,  earnestly.  "  You  do 
not  mention  her.  Henry  has  told  me  all.  Plave  you 
nothing  to  say  about  yourself- —  about  Alice  ?  " 

"  Oh !  what  can  I  say  ?  "  cried  the  pastor,  clasping  his 
hands,  while  a  deep  sob  almost  choked  him. 

"  Can  you  not  say  that  she  is  in  the  hands  of  God  —  of 
a  loving  Father  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Stuart,  tenderly. 

"  Yes,  I  can  say  that  ^  I  have  said  that ;  but  — but  — " 

"  I  know  what  you  would  say,"  interrupted  the  widow  ; 
*'  you  would  tell  me  that  she  is  in  the  hands  of  pirates,  — 
ruthless  villains  who  fear  neither  God  nor  man,  and  that, 
unless  a  miracle  is  wrought  in  her  behalf,  nothing  can  save 
her—" 

"  Oh  !  spare  me,  Mary ;  why  do  you  harrow  my  broken 
heai't  with  such  a  picture  ?  "  cried  Mr.  Mason,  rising  and 
pa<;ing  the  room  with  quick,  unsteady  steps,  while  with 
boih  hands  on  his  head  he  seemed  to  attempt  to  crush 
down  the  thoughts  tliat  burned  up  his  brain. 


200  gascotnt:, 

"  I  speak  thus,"  said  the  widow,  wilh  an  earnestness  of 
tone  and  manner  that  almost  startled  her  hearers,  "  be* 
cause  I  wish  to  comfort  you.  Alice,  you  tell  me,  is  on 
board  the  Foam  — " 

"  On  board  the  pirate  schooner!  "  cried  Henry,  almost 
fiercely  ;  for  the  youth,  although  as  much  distressed  as  Mr. 
Mason,  was  not  so  resigned  as  he,  and  his  spirit  chafed  at 
the  thought  of  having  been  deceived  so  terribly  by  the 
pirate. 

"  She  is  on  board  the  Foam,"  repeated  the  widow,  m  a 
tone  so  stern  tliat  her  hearers  looked  at  her  in  surprise, 
"  and  is  therefore  in  the  hands  of  Gascoyne,  who  will  not 
injure  a  hair  of  her  head.  I  tell  you,  Mr.  Mason,  that  she 
is  perfectly  safe  in  the  hands  of  Gascoyne." 

"  Of  the  pirate  Durward  !  "  said  Henry,  in  a  deep,  angry 
voice. 

"  "What  ground  have  you  for  saying  so  ?  "  asked  the 
widow,  quickly.  "  You  only  know  him  as  Gascoyne  the 
sandal-wood  trader,  —  the  captain  of  the  Foam.  He  has 
been  suspected,  it  is  true  ;  but  suspicion  is  not  proof.  His 
scliooner  has  been  fired  into  by  a  war-vessel ;  he  has  re- 
turned the  fire :  any  passionate  man  might  be  tempted  to 
do  that.  His  men  have  carried  off  some  of  our  dear  ones. 
That  was  their  doing,  not  his.     He  knew  nothing  of  it." 

"  Mother,  mother,"  cried  Henry,  entreat inglj^,  "  don't 
stand  up  in  that  way  for  a  pirate  ;  I  can't  bear  to  hear  it. 
Did  he  not  himself  describe  the  pirate  schooner's  appear- 
ance  in  this  room,  and  when  he  was  attacked  by  the  Talis- 
man did  he  not  show  out  in  his  true  colors,  thereby  prov- 
ing that  he  is  Durward  the  pirate  ?  " 

The  widow's  fiice  grew  pale  and  her  voice  trembled  as 
ehe  replied,  like  one  who  sought  to  convince  herself  rather 
than  her  hearer,  "  That  is  not  ])ositive  proof,  Henry.  Gat'- 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.         201 

coyne  may  Lave  had  some  good  reason  for  deceiving  you 
all  in  tills  way.  His  description  of  the  pirate  may  Lave 
been  a  false  one.  We  cannot  tell.  You  know  he  was 
anxious  to  prevent  Captain  Montague  from  impressing  Jiis 
men." 

"  And  would  proclaiming  Limself  a  pirate  be  a  good  way 
of  accomplisLing  that  end,  mother  ?  " 

"  Mar}^,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  solemnly,  as  he  seated  him- 
self at  the  table  ar.d  looked  earnestly  in  the  widow's  face, 
"  your  knowledge  of  this  man  and  your  manner  of  speak- 
ing about  liini  surprise  me.  I  have  long  thought  that  you 
were  not  acting  wisely  in  permitting  Gascoyne  to  be  so 
intimate ;  for,  whatever  he  may  in  reality  be,  he  is  a  sus- 
picious character,  to  say  the  best  of  him  ;  and  although  1 
know  that  you  think  you  are  right  in  encouraging  his 
visits,  other  people  do  not  know  that ;  they  may  judge  you 
harshly.  I  do  not  wish  to  pry  into  secrets ;  but  you  have 
sought  to  comfort  me  by  bidding  me  have  perfect  confidence 
in  this  man  ?  I  must  ask  what  knowledge  you  have  of 
him.  How  far  are  you  aware  of  his  character  and  em- 
ployment ?     How  do  you  know  that  he  is  so  trustworthy  ?  " 

An  expression  of  deep  grief  rested  on  the  widow's  coun- 
tenance as  she  replied,  in  a  sad  voice : 

"  I  know  that  you  may  trust  Gascoyne  with  your  child. 
He  is  my  oldest  friend.  I  have  known  him  since  we  were 
children.  He  saved  my  father's  life  long,  long  ago,  and 
helped  to  support  my  mother  in  her  last  years.  Would 
you  have  me  to  forget  all  this  because  men  say  that  he  is 
a  pirate  ? " 

"  Why,  mother,"  cried  Henry,  "  if  you  know  so  much 
about  him  you  must  know  that,  whatever  he  was  in  time 
past,  he  is  the  pirate  Durward  now." 

"  I  do  not  know  that  he  is  the  pirate  Durward  ! "  said 


202  GASCOYNE, 

the  tvidow,  in  a  voice  and  with  a  look  so  decided  that  Henry 
was  silenced  and  sorely  perplexed;  yet  much  relieved, 
for  he  knew  that  his  mother  would  rather  die  than  tell  a 
deliberate  falsehood. 

The  missionary  was  also  comforted ;  for  although  his 
judgment  told  him  that  the  grounds  of  hope  thus  held  out 
to  hiai  were  very  insufficient,  he  was  impressed  by  the 
thoroughly  confident  tone  of  the  widow,  and  felt  relieved  in 
spite  of  himself. 

Soon  after  this  conversation  was  concluded,  the  house- 
hold retired  to  rest. 

Next  morning  Henry  was  awakened  out  of  a  deep  sleep 
by  the  sound  of  subdued  voices  in  the  room  underneath 
his  own.  At  first  he  paid  no  attention  to  these,  supposing 
that,  as  it  was  broad  daylight,  some  of  their  native  ser- 
vants were  moving  about.  But  presently  the  sound  of 
his  mother's  voice  induced  him  to  listen  more  attentively. 
Then  a  voice  replied,  so  low  that  he  could  with  difficulty 
hear  it  at  all.  Its  strength  increased,  however,  and  at  last 
it  broke  forth  in  deep  bass  tones. 

Henry  sprang  up  and  threw  on  his  clothes.  As  he  was 
thus  engaged  the  front  door  of  the  house  opened,  and  the 
speakers  went  out.  A  few  seconds  sufficed  for  the  youth 
to  finish  dressing  him  ;  then,  seizing  a  pistol,  he  hurried 
out  of  the  house.  Looking  quickly  round,  he  just  caught 
sight  of  the  skirts  of  a  woman's  dress  as  they  disappeared 
through  the  doorway  of  a  hut  which  had  been  formerly 
inhabited  by  a  poor  native,  who  had  subsisted  on  the 
widow's  bounty  until  he  died.  The  door  was  shut  imme- 
diately after. 

Going  swiftly  but  cautiously  round  by  a  back  way,  Henry 
approached  the  hut.  Strange  and  conflicting  feelings  filled 
bis  breast     A  blush  of  deep  shame  and  self-abhorrence 


niE  SANDAT -T^^OOD   TRADER.  203 

mantled  on  his  cheek  when  it  flashed  across  I  im  that  he 
U'a3  about  to  play  the  spy  on  his  own  mother.  But  tliere 
was  no  mistaking  Gascojne's  voice. 

How  the  supposed  pirate  had  got  there,  and  wherefore 
he  was  there,  were  matters  that  he  did  not  think  of  or  care 
about  at  that  moment.  There  he  was  ;  so  the  young  man 
resolved  to  secure  him  and  hand  him  over  to  justice. 

Henry  was  too  honorable  to  listen  secretly  to  a  conver- 
sation, whatever  it  might  be,  that  was  not  intended  for  his 
ears.  He  resolved  merely  to  peep  in  at  one  of  the  many 
chinks  in  the  log  hut  for  one  moment,  to  satisfy  himself 
that  Gascoyne  really  was  there,  and  to  observe  his  posi- 
tion. But  as  the  latter  now  thought  himself  beyond  the 
hearing  of  any  one,  he  spoke  in  unguarded  tones,  and 
Henry  heard  a  few  words  in  spite  of  himself. 

Looking  through  a  chink  in  the  wall  at  the  end  of  the 
hut,  he  beheld  the  stalwart  form  of  the  sandal-wood  trader 
.standing  on  the  hearth  of  the  hut,  which  was  almost  unfur- 
nished, — a  stool,  a  bench,  an  old  chest,  a  table,  and  a  chair 
being  all  that  it  contained.  His  mother  was  seated  at  the 
table,  with  her  hands  clasped  before  her,  looking  up  at  her 
companion. 

"  Oh  !  why  run  so  great  a  risk  as  this  ?  "  said  she  ear- 
neatly. 

"  I  was  born  to  run  risks,  I  believe,"  replied  Gascoyne,  in 
a  sad,  low  voice.  "  It  matters  not.  My  being  on  the  isl- 
and is  the  result  of  Manton's  villamy  ;  my  being  here  is 
for  poor  Henry's  salie  and  your  own,  as  well  as  for  the 
sake  of  Alice  the  missionary's  child.  You  have  been 
upright,  Mary,  and  kind,  and  true  as  steel  ever  since  I 
knew  you.  But  for  that  I  should  have  been  lost  long 
ago-" 

Henry  heard  no  more.     These  words  did  indeed  wliet 


204  GASCOYNE, 

his  curiosity  to  the  utmost ;  but  the  shame  of  acting  tho 
part  of  an  "  eavesdropper  "  was  so  great  that,  by  a  strong 
effort  of  will,  he  drew  back,  and  pondered  for  a  moment 
what  he  ought  to  do.  The  unexpected  tone  and  tenor  of 
Gascoyne's  remark  had  softened  him  slightly  ;  but,  recall- 
ing the  undoubted  proofs  that  he  had  had  of  his  really 
being  a  pirate,  he  soon  steeled  his  heart  against  him.  He 
argued  that  the  mere  fact  of  a  man  giving  his  mother 
credit  for  a  character  which  everybody  knew  she  pos- 
sessed, was  not  sufficient  to  clear  him  of  the  suspicions 
which  he  had  raised  against  himself.  Besides,  it  was  im- 
pertinence in  any  man  to  tell  his  mother  his  opinion  of  her 
to  her  face.  And  to  call  him  "  poor  Henry,"  forsooth ! 
This  was  not  to  be  endured ! 

Having  thus  wrought  himself  up  to  a  sufficient  degree 
of  indignation,  the  young  man  went  straight  to  the  door, 
making  considerable  noise  in  order  to  prepare  those  within 
for  his  advent.  He  had  expected  to  find  it  locked.  In 
this  he  was  mistaken.     It  yielded  to  a  push. 

Throwing  it  wide  open,  Henry  strode  into  the  middle 
of  the  apartment,  and,  pointing  the  pistol  at  Gascoyne's 
breast,  exclaimed : 

"  Pirate  Durward,  I  arrest  you  in  the  king's  name  ! " 

At  the  first  sound  of  her  son's  approach,  Mrs.  Stuart 
bent  forward  over  the  table  with  a  groan,  and  buried  her 
face  in  her  hands. 

Gascoyne  received  Henry's  speech  at  first  with  a  frowrij 
and  then  with  a  smile. 

"You  have  taken  a  strange  time  and  way  to  jest,  Henry," 
said  he,  crossing  his  arms  on  his  broad  chest  and  gazing 
boldly  into  the  youth's  face. 

"  You  will  not  throw  me  off  my  guard  thus,"  said 
Henry,  sternly.     "  You  arc  my  priioner.     I  knew  you  to 


Henry  arresting  the  pirate. 


THE  SANbAL-WOOD  TRADER.        205 

bo  a  pirate.  At  any  rate  you  Avill  have  to  prove  yourself 
to  be  an  honest  man  before  you  quit  this  hut  a  free  man. 
Mother,  leave  this  place,  that  I  may  lock  the  door  upon 
him." 

The  widow  did  not  move,  but  Gascoyne  made  a  step 
towards  her  son. 

"  Another  step  and  I  will  fire.  Your  blood  shall  be  on 
your  own  head,  Gascoyne." 

As  Gascoyne  still  advanced,  Henry  pointed  the  pistol 
straight  at  his  breast  and  pulled  the  trigger,  but  no  report 
followed  ;  the  priming,  indeed,  flashed  in  the  pan,  but 
that  was  all ! 

With  a  cry  of  rage  and  defiance,  Henry  leaped  upon 
Gascoyne  like  a  young  lion.  He  struck  at  him  with  the 
pistol ;  but  the  latter  caught  the  weapon  in  his  powerful 
hand,  wrenched  it  from  the  youth's  grasp,  and  flung  it  to 
the  other  end  of  the  apartment. 

"  You  shall  not  escape  me,"  cried  Henry,  aiming  a  tre- 
mendous blow  with  his  fist  at  Gascoyne's  face.  It  was 
parried,  and  the  next  moment  the  two  closed  in  a  deadly 
struggle. 

It  was  a  terrible  sight  for  the  widow  to  witness  these 
two  Herculean  men  exerting  their  great  strength  to  the 
utmost  in  a  hand-to-hand  conflict  in  that  small  hut,  like  two 
tigers  in  a  cage. 

Henry,  although  nearly  six  feet  in  height,  and  propor- 
tionally broad  and  powerful,  was  much  inferior  to  his  gi- 
gantic antagonist ;  but  to  the  superior  size  and  physical 
force  of  the  latter  he  opposed  the  lithe  activity  and  the 
fervid  energy  of  youth,  so  that  to  an  unpractised  eye  it 
might  have  seemed  doubtful  at  first  which  of  the  two  men 
had  the  best  chance. 

Straining  his  powers  to  the  utmost,  Henry  attempted  to 


206  GASCOYNE, 

lift  his  opponent  off  the  ground  and  throw  him.  In  this 
he  was  nearly  successful.  Ga.-coyne  staggered,  but  re- 
covered himself  instantly.  They  did  not  move  much 
from  the  centre  of  the  room,  nor  was  there  much  noise 
created  during  the  conflict.  It  seemed  too  close  —  too  full 
of  concentrated  energy,  of  heavy,  prolonged  straining  — 
for  much  violent  motion.  The  great  veins  in  Gascoyne's 
forehead  stood  out  like  knotted  cords ;  yet  there  was  no 
scowl  or  frown  on  his  face.  Henry's  brows,  on  the  con- 
trary, were  gathered  into  a  dark  frown.  His  teeth  were 
set,  and  his  countenance  flushed  to  deep  red  by  exertion 
and  passion. 

Strange  to  say,  the  widow  made  no  effort  to  separate  the 
combatants  ;  neither  did  she  attempt  to  move  from  her 
seat  to  give  any  alann.  She  sat  with  her  hands  on  the 
table  clasped  tightly  together,  gazing  eagerly,  anxiously, 
like  a  fascinated  creature,  at  the  wild  struggle  that  was 
going  on  before  her. 

Again  and  again  Henry  attempted,  with  all  the  fire  of 
youth,  to  throw  his  adversary  by  one  tremendous  effort, 
but  failed.  Then  he  tried  to  fling  him  off,  so  as  to  have 
the  power  of  using  his  fists  or  making  an  overwhelming 
rush.  But  Gascoyne  held  him  in  his  strong  arms  like  a 
vice.  Several  times  he  freed  his  right  arm  and  attempted 
to  plant  a  blow ;  but  Gascoyne  caught  the  blow  in  his 
hand,  or  seized  the  wrist  and  prevented  its  being  deliv- 
ered. In  short,  do  what  he  would,  Henry  Stuart  could 
neither  free  himself  from  the  embrace  of  his  enemy  nor 
conquer  him.  Still  he  struggled  on  ;  for  as  this  fact  be- 
came more  apparent,  the  youth's  blood  became  hotter  from 
mingled  shame  and  anger. 

Both  men  soon  began  to  show  symptoms  of  fatigue.  It 
was  not  in  the  nature  of  things  that  two  such  frames,  ani- 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.         207 

mated  by  such  spirits,  could  prolong  so  exhausting  a 
struggle.  It  was  not  doubtful  now  which  of  the  two  would 
come  off  victorious.  During  the  whole  course  of  the  fight 
Gascojne  had  acted  entirely  on  the  defensive.  A  small  knife 
or  stiletto  hung  at  his  left  side,  but  he  never  attempted 
to  use  it,  and  he  never  once  tried  to  throw  his  adversary. 
In  fact,  it  now  became  evident,  even  to  the  widow's  percep- 
tions, that  the  captain  was  actually  playing  with  her  son. 

An  along,  his  countenance,  though  flushed  and  eager, 
exhibited  no  sign  of  passion.  He  seemed  to  act  like  a 
good-humored  man  who  had  been  foohshly  assaulted  by  a 
headstrong  boy,  and  who  meant  to  keep  him  in  play  until 
he  should  tire  him  out. 

Just  then  the  tinkling  of  a  bell  and  other  sounds  of  the 
people  of  the  establishment  beginning  to  move  were  heard 
outside.     Henry  noticed  this. 

"  Ha  !  "  he  exclaimed,  in  a  gasping  voice,  "  I  can  at 
least  hold  you  until  help  comes.'' 

Gascoyne  heard  the  sounds  also.  He  said  nothing,  but 
he  brought  the  strife  to  a  swift  termination.  For  the  first 
time  he  bent  his  back  like  a  man  who  exerts  himself 
in  earnest,  and  lifted   Henry  completely  off  the  ground. 

Throwing  him  on  his  back,  he  pressed  him  down  with 
both  arms  so  as  to  break  from  his  grasp.  No  human 
muscles  could  resist  the  force  applied.  Slowly  but  surely 
the  iron  sinews  of  Henry's  arms  straightened  out,  and  the 
two  were  soon  at  arms'  length. 

But  even  Gascoyne's  strength  could  not  unclasp  the 
gripe  of  the  youth's  hands,  until  he  placed  his  knee  upon 
his  chest ;  then,  indeed,  they  were  torn  away. 

Of  course,  all  this  was  not  done  without  some  violence ; 
but  it  was  still  plain  to  the  widow  that  Gascoyne  was  care- 
ful not  to  hurt  his  antagonist  more  than  he  could  help. 


208  GASCOYNE, 

"  Now,  Henry,  my  lad,"  said  he,  holding  the  youth  down 
by  the  two  arms,  '•  I  have  given  you  a  good  deal  of  trouble 
this  morning,  and  I  mean  to  give  you  a  little  more.  It 
does  not  just  suit  me  at  present  to  be  tried  for  a  pirate,  so 
I  mean  to  give  you  a  race.  You  are  reputed  one  of  the 
best  runners  in  the  settlement.  Well,  I'll  give  you  a 
chance  after  m,e.  If  you  overtake  me,  boy,  I'll  give  my- 
self up  to  you  without  a  struggle.  But  I  suspect  you'll 
find  me  rather  hard  to  catch ! " 

As  he  uttered  the  last  words  he  permitted  Henry  to  rise. 
Ere  the  youth  had  quite  gained  his  footing,  he  gave  him  a 
violent  push  and  sent  him  staggering  back  against  the  wall. 
When  Henry  recovered  his  balance,  Gascoyne  was  stand- 
ing in  the  open  doorway. 

"Now,  lad,  are  you  ready  ?  "  said  he,  a  sort  of  wild  smile 
lighting  up  his  face. 

Henry  was  so  taken  aback  by  this  conduct,  as  well  as  by 
the  rough  handling  which  he  had  just  received,  that  he 
could  not  collect  his  thoughts  for  a  few  seconds ;  but  when 
Gascoyne  nodded  gravely  to  his  mother,  and  walked  quietly 
away,  saying,  "  Goodby,  Mary,"  the  exasperated  youth 
darted  through  the  doorway  like  an  arrow. 

If  Henry  Stuart's  rush  may  be  compared  to  the  flight  of 
an  arrow  from  a  bow,  not  less  appropriately  may  Gascoyne's 
bound  be  likened  to  the  leap  of  the  bolt  from  a  cross-bow. 
The  two  men  sprang  over  the  low  fences  that  surrounded 
the  cottage,  leaped  the  rivulet  that  brawled  down  its  steep 
course  behind  it,  and  coursed  up  the  hill  like  mountain 
hares. 

The  last  that  Widow  Stuart  saw  cf  them,  as  she  gazed 
eagerly  from  the  doorway  of  the  hut,  was,  when  Gascoyne's 
figure  was  clearly  defined  against  the  sky  as  he  leaped 
over  a  great  chasm  in  tlie  lava  high  up  the  mountain-sidA. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  209 

Henry  followed  almost  instantly,  and  tlien  both  were  hid 
den  from  view  in  the  chaos  of  rocks  and  gorges  that  rose 
above  the  upper  line  of  vegetation. 

It  was  a  long  and  a  severe  chase  that  Henry  had  under- 
taken, and  ably  did  his  fleet  foot  sustain  the  credit  which 
he  had  already  gained.  But  Gascoyne's  foot  was  fleeter. 
Over  every  species  of  ground  did  the  sandal-wood  trader 
lead  the  youth  that  morning.  It  seemed,  in  fact,  as  if  a 
spirit  of  mischief  had  taken  possession  of  Gascoyne ;  for  his 
usually  grave  face  was  lighted  up  with  a  mingled  expres- 
sion of  glee  and  ferocity.  It  changed,  too,  and  wore  a  sad 
expression  at  times,  even  when  the  man  seemed  to  be  run- 
ning for  his  life. 

At  last,  after  running  until  he  had  caused  Henry  to 
show  symptoms  of  fatigue,  Gascoyne  turned  suddenly 
round,  and  shouting  "  Goodby,  Henry,  my  lad ! "  went 
straight  up  the  mountain,  and  disappeared  over  the  divid- 
ing ridge  on  the  summit. 

Henry  did  not  give  in.  The  insult  implied  in  the 
words  renewed  his  strength.  He  tightened  his  belt  as  he 
ran,  and  rushed  up  the  mountain  almost  as  fast  as  Gas- 
coyne had  done ;  but  when  he  leaped  upon  the  ridge,  the 
fugitive  had  vanished ! 

That  he  had  secreted  himself  in  one  of  the  numerous 
gorges  or  caves  with  which  the  place  abounded  was  quite 
clear ;  bat  it  was  equally  clear  that  no  one  could  track 
him  out  in  such  a  place  unless  he  were  possessed  of  a  dog's 
nose.  The  youth  did  indeed  attempt  it ;  but,  being  con- 
vinced that  he  was  only  searching  for  what  could  not  by 
any  possibility  be  found,  he  soon  gave  it  up,  ajid  returneci, 
disconsolate  and  crest-fallen,  to  the  cottage. 
14 


CHAPTER   XX. 

ItirSllERICDS  CONSULTATIONS  AND  PLANS — OaSCOYNE  ASTOHISHBi 
HIS  FRIENDS,  AND  MAKES  AN  UNEXPECTED   CONFESSION. 

"  A  PRETTY  morning's  work  I  have  made  of  it,  mother," 
said  Henry,  as  he  flung  himself  into  a  chair  in  the  cot- 
tage parlor,  on  his  return  from  the  weary  and  fruitless 
chase  which  has  just  been  recorded. 

The  widow  was  pale  and  haggard ;  but  she  could  not 
help  smiling  as  she  observed  the  look  of  extreme  disap- 
pointment which  rested  on  the  countenance  of  her  son. 

"  True,  Henry,"  she  replied,  busying  herself  in  prepar- 
ing breakfast,  *'  you  have  not  been  very  successful ;  but 
you  made  a  noble  effort." 

"  Pshaw  !  a  noble  effort,  indeed  !  Why,  the  man  has 
foiled  me  in  the  two  things  in  which  I  prided  myself  most, 
—  wrestling  anc*  tunning.  I  never  saw  such  a  greyhound 
in  my  life." 

"  He  is  a  giant,  my  boy ;  few  men  could  hope  to  over- 
come him." 

"  True,  as  regards  wrestling,  mother ;  I  am  not  much 
ashamed  of  having  been  beaten  by  him  at  that ;  but  run- 
ning, —  that's  the  sore  point.  Such  a  weight  he  is,  and 
yet  he  took  the  north  gully  like  a  wildcat ;  and  you  know, 
mother,  there  are  only  two  of  us  in  Sandy  Cove  who  can 
go  over  that  gully.  Ay,  and  he  went  a  full  yard  further 
tlian  ever  I  did.     I  measured  the  leap  as  I  came  down. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRVDER.  211 

Really,  it  is  too  bad  to  have  been  beaten  so  r.ompletcily  by 
a  man  who  must  be  nearly  double  my  age.  But,  after  all, 
the  worst  of  the  whole  affair  is,  that  a  pirate  has  escaped 
me  after  I  actually  had  him  in  my  arms !  —  the  villain !  " 

"  You  do  not  know  that  he  is  a  villain,"  said  the  widow 
ir  a  subdued  tone. 

"  You  are  right,  mother,"  said  Henry,  looking  up  from 
the  plate  of  bacon,  to  which  he  had  been  devoting  him- 
self with  much  assiduity,  and  gazing  earnestly  into  his 
mother's  face,  —  "  you  are  right ;  and,  do  you  know,  I  feel 
inclined  to  give  the  fellow  the  benefit  of  the  do«bt ;  for,  to 
tell  you  the  truth,  I  have  a  sort  of  liking  for  him.  If  it 
had  not  been  for  the  way  in  which  he  has  treated  you,  and 
the  suspicious  character  that  he  bears,  I  do  believe  I 
should  have  made  a  friend  of  him." 

A  look  of  evident  pleasure  crossed  the  widow's  face 
while  her  son  spoke  ;  but  as  that  son's  eyes  were  once 
more  riveted  on  the  bacon,  which  his  morning  exercise 
rendered  peculiarly  attractive,  he  did  not  observe  it. 

Just  then  the  door  opened,  and  Mr.  Mason  entered.  His 
face  wore  a  dreadfully  anxious  expression. 

"  Ha  !  I'm  glad  to  see  you,  Henry,"  said  he  ;  "  of  course 
you  have  not  caught  your  man.  I  have  been  waiting 
anxiously  for  you  to  consult  about  our  future  proceedings. 
It  is  quite  evident  that  the  pirate  schooner  cannot  be  far 
off.  Gascoyne  must  either  have  swam  ashore,  or  been 
landed  in  a  boat.  In  either  case  the  schooner  must  have 
been  within  the  reef  at  the  time,  and  there  has  been  little 
wind  since  the  squall  blew  itself  out  yesterday." 

"  Quite  enough,  however,  to  blow  such  a  light  craft 
pretty  far  out  to  sea  in  a  few  hours,"  said  Henry,  shaking 
his  head. 

"  No  matter,"  replied  Mr.  Maso^,  with  a  sigh  j  "  some- 


212  GASCOYNE. 

thing  must  bo  done,  at  any  rate.  I  have  borrowed  the 
carpenter's  small  cutter,  which  is  now  being  put  in  order 
for  a  voyage.  Provisions  and  water  for  a  few  days  are 
already  on  board,  and  1  have  come  to  ask  you  to  take  com- 
mand of  her,  as  you  know  something  of  navigation.  I 
will  go,  of  course,  but  will  not  take  any  management  of 
the  little  craft,  as  I  know  nothing  about  the  working  of 
vessels." 

"  And  where  do  you  mean  to  go  ?  "  asked  Henry. 

"  That  remains  to  be  seen.  I  have  some  ideas  running 
in  my  head,  of  course  ;  but  before  letting  you  know  them,  I 
wish  to  hear  what  you  would  advise." 

"  I  would  advise,  in  the  first  place,  that  you  should  pro- 
vide one  or  two  thorough  sailors  to  manage  the  craft.  By 
the  way,  that  reminds  me  of  Bumpus.  What  of  him? 
Where  is  he  ?  In  the  midst  of  all  this  bustle  I  have  not 
had  time  for  much  thought ;  and  it  has  only  just  occurred 
to  me  that  if  this  schooner  is  really  a  pirate,  and  if  Gas- 
coyne  turns  out  to  be  Durward,  it  follows  that  Bumpus  is 
a  pirate  too,  and  ought  to  be  dealt  with  accordingly." 

"  I  have  thought  of  that,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  with  a  per- 
plexed look,  "  and  intended  to  speak  to  you  on  the  subject ; 
but  events  have  crowded  so  fast  upon  each  other  of  late 
that  it  has  been  driven  out  of  my  mind.  No  doubt,  if  the 
Foam  and  the  Avenger  are  one  and  the  same  vessel,  as 
seems  too  evident  to  leave  much  room  for  doubt,  then 
Bumpus  is  a  pirate  ;  for  he  does  not  deny  that  he  was  one 
of  the  crew.  But  he  acts  strangely  for  a  pirate.  He 
seems  as  much  at  his  ease  amongst  us  as  if  he  were  the 
most  innocent  of  men.  Moreover,  his  looks  seem  to  stamp 
him  a  thoroughly  honest  fellow.  But,  alas  !  one  cannot 
depend  on  looks." 

"  But  vdiere  is  the  man  ?  "  asked  Henry. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  213 

"He  is  asleep  in  the  small  closet  off  the  kitchen,"  said 
Mrs.  Stuart,  "  where  he  has  been  lying  ever  since  you  re- 
turned from  the  heathen  village.  Poor  fellow,  he  sleeps 
heavily,  and  looks  as  if  he  had  been  hurt  during  all  this 
fighting." 

"  Hurt  I  say  you  ?  "  exclaimed  Henry,  laughing ;  "  it  is 
a  miracle  that  he  is  now  alive  after  the  flight  he  took  over 
the  north  cliff  into  the  sea." 

"  Flight !  —  over  the  north  cliff !  "  echoed  Mrs.  Stuart, 
in  surprise. 

"  Ay,  and  a  fearful  plunge  he  had."  Here  Henry  de- 
tailed poor  Jo's  misadventure.  "  And  now,"  said  he,  when 
he  had  finished,  "  I  must  lock  his  door  and  keep  him  in. 
The  settlers  have  forgotten  him  in  all  this  turmoil ;  but, 
depend  upon  it,  if  they  see  him  they  will  string  him  up  for 
a  pirate  to  the  first  handy  branch  of  a  tree,  without  giv- 
ing him  the  benefit  of  a  trial ;  and  that  would  not  be 
desirable." 

"  Yet  you  would  have  shot  Gascoyne  on  mere  suspicion, 
without  a  thought  of  trial  or  justice,"  said  Mrs.  Stuart. 

"  True,  mother;  but  that  was  when  I  was  seizing  him, 
and  in  hot  blood,"  said  Henry,  in  a  subdued  voice.  "  I 
was  hasty  there,  no  doubt.  Lucky  for  us  both  that  the 
pistol  missed  fire." 

The  widow  looked  as  if  she  were  about  to  reply,  but 
checked  herself. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  recurring  to  the  former  sub- 
ject ;  "  as  we  shall  be  away  a  few  days,  we  must  lock 
Bumpus  up  to  keep  him  out  of  harm's  way.  Mean- 
while—" 

The  missionary  was  interrupted  here  by  the  sudden 
0))ening  of  the  door.  An  exclamation  of  surprise  burst 
from  the  whole  party  as   they  sprang  uj>,  for  GascoyuQ 


2U 


strode  into  the  rooin,  locked  the  door,  and  takin.Gj  out  the 
key  handed  it  to  Henry,  who  stood  staring  at  him  in  speech- 
less amazement 

"  You  are  surprised  to  see  me  appear  thus  suddenly,'* 
said  he  ;  "  but  the  fact  is  that  I  came  here  this  morning 
to  fulfil  a  duty  ;  and  although  Master  Henry  there  has 
hindered  me  somewhat  in  carrying  out  my  good  intentions, 
I  do  not  intend  to  allow  him  to  frustrate  me  altogether." 

"  I  do  not  mean  to  make  a  second  attempt,  Gascoyne, 
after  what  has  occurred  this  morning,"  said  Henry,  seating 
himself  doggedly  on  his  chair.  "  But  it  would  be  as  well 
that  you  should  observe  that  Mr.  Mason  is  a  stout  man, 
and,  as  we  have  seen,  can  act  vigorously  when  occasion 
offers.     Remember  that  we  are  two  to  one  now." 

"  There  will  be  no  occasion  for  vigorous  action,  at  least 
as  regards  me,  if  you  will  agree  to  forget  your  suspicions  for 
a  few  minutes  and  listen  to  what  I  have  got  to  say.  Mean- 
while, in  order  to  show  you  how  thoroughly  in  earnest  I  am, 
and  how  regardless  of  my  personal  safety,  I  render  myself 
defenceless  —  thus." 

Gascoyne  pulled  a  brace  of  small  pistols  from  their 
place  of  concealment  beneath  the  breast  of  his  shirt,  and 
drawing  the  knife  that  hung  at  his  girdle,  hurled  them  all 
tlirough  the  open  window  into  the  garden.  He  then  took 
a  chair,  planted  it  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  sat  down. 
The  sadness  of  his  deep  voice  did  not  change  during  the 
remainder  of  that  interview.  The  bold  look  which  usually 
characterized  this  peculiar  man  had  given  place  to  a  grave 
expression  of  humility,  which  was  occasionally  varied  by 
a  troubled  look. 

"  Before  stating  what  I  have  come  for,"  said  Gascoyne, 
*'  I  mean  to  make  a  confession.  You  have  been  right  in 
your  suspicions,  —  /  am  Durward  the  pirate  I     Nay,  do 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.         215 

not  slirink  from  me  in  that  way,  Mary.  I  have  kept  this 
secret  from  you  long,  because  I  feared  to  lose  the  old 
friendship  that  has  existed  between  us  since  we  were  chil 
dren.  I  have  deceived  you  in  this  thing  only.  I  have 
taker  advantage  of  your  ignorance  to  make  you  suppose 
that  I  was  merely  a  smuggler,  and  that,  in  consequence  of 
being  an  outlaw,  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  conceal  my 
name  and  my  movements.  You  have  kept  my  secret, 
Mary,  and  have  tried  to  win  mc  back  to  honest  ways ;  but 
you  little  knew  the  strength  of  the  net  I  had  wrapped 
around  me.     You  did  not  know  that  I  was  a  piiate  !  " 

Gascoyne  paused,  and  bent  his  head  as  if  in  thought. 
The  widow  sat  with  clasped  hands,  gazing  at  him  with  a 
look  of  despair  on  her  pale  face.  But  she  did  not  move 
or  speak.  The  three  listeners  sat  in  perfect  silence,  until 
the  pirate  chose  to  continue  his  confession. 

*'  Yes,  I  have  been  a  pirate,"  said  he ;  "  but  I  have  not 
been  the  villain  that  men  have  painted  me."  He  looked 
steadily  in  the  widow's  face  as  he  said  these  words  delib- 
erately. 

"  Do  not  try  to  palliate  your  conduct,  Gascoyne,"  said 
Mr.  Mason,  earnestly.  "  The  blackness  of  your  sin  is  too 
great  to  be  deepened  or  lightened  by  what  men  may  have 
said  of  you.  You  are  a  pirate,  ^verj  pirate  is  a  mur- 
derer.^'' 

"  /  am  not  a  murderer^'  said  Gascoyne,  slowly,  in  reply, 
but  still  fixing  his  gaze  on  the  widow's  face,  as  if  he 
addressed  himself  solely  to  her. 

"  You  may  not  have  committed  murder  with  your  own 
hand,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  "  but  the  man  who  leads  on  others 
o  commit  the  crime  is  a  murderer,  in  the  eye  of  God's  law 
as  well  as  in  tliat  of  man." 

"  I  never  led  on  men  to  commit  murder,"  said  Gascoyna 


216  GASCOYNE, 

in  the  same  tone,  and  with  the  same  steadfast  gaze.  "  This 
hand  is  free  from  the  stain  of  human  blood.  Do  you 
beheve  me,  Mary  ?  " 

The  widow  did  not  answer.  She  sat  hke  one  bereft  of 
all  power  of  speech  or  motion. 

"  I  will  explain,"  resumed  the  pirate  captain,  drawing  a 
long  breath,  and  directing  his  looks  to  Henry  now. 

"  For  reasons  which  it  is  not  necessary  that  you  should 
know,  I  resolved  some  years  ago  to  become  a  pirate.  I 
had  been  deceived  —  shamefully  deceived  and  wronged  — 
by  wealthy  and  powerful  men.  I  had  appealed  to  the  law 
of  my  country,  and  the  law  refused  to  right  me.  No,  not 
the  law,  but  those  who  sat  on  the  judgment-seat  to  pervert 
the  law.  It  matters  not  now ;  I  was  driven  mad  at  the 
time,  for  the  wrong  done  was  not  done  so  much  to  me 
as  to  those  whom  I  loved.  I  vowed  that  I  should  be 
avenged. 

"  I  soon  found  men  as  mad  as  myself,  who  only  wanted 
a  leader  to  guide  them  in  order  to  run  full  swing  to  de- 
struction. I  seized  the  Foam,  of  which  schooner  I  wa3 
mate,  called  her  the  Avenger,  and  became  a  pirate.  No 
blood  was  shed  when  I  seized  the  schooner.  Before  an 
opportunity  occurred  of  trying  my  hand  at  this  new  pro- 
fession, my  anger  had  cooled.  /  repented  of  what  I  had 
done ;  but  I  was  surrounded  by  men  who  were  more  bent 
on  mischief  than  I  was.  I  could  not  draw  back,  but  I 
modified  my  plan.  I  determined  to  become  merely  a  rob' 
her,  and  use  the  proceeds  of  my  trade  to  indemnify  those 
to  whom  injustice  had  been  done.  I  thought  at  the  time 
that  there  was  some  justice  in  this.  I  called  myself,  in 
jest,  a  tax-gatherer  of  the  sea.  I  ordered  the  men  aft  one 
day,  and  explained  to  them  my  views.  I  said  tliat  I  ab- 
horred the  name  and  the  deeds  of  pirates;  that  I  would 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  217 

only  consent  to  command  tliem  if  they  agreed  never  to 
shed  human  blood  except  in  fair  and  open  fight. 

"  They  liked  the  idea.  There  were  men  among  them 
who  had  never  heartily  agreed  to  the  seizing  of  the 
schooner,  and  who  would  have  left  her  if  I  would  have 
allowed  them ;  these  were  much  relieved  to  hear  my  pro- 
posal.  It  was  fixed  that  we  should  roh,  but  not  murder. 
Miserable  fool  that  I  was !  I  thought  it  was  possible  to 
go  just  so  far  and  no  farther  into  sin.  I  did  not  know  at 
that  time  the  strength  of  the  fearful  current  into  which  I 
had  plunged. 

"  But  we  stuck  to  our  principles.  We  never  did  com- 
mit murder.  And  as  our  appearance  was  always  sufficient 
to  cause  the  colors  of  any  ship  we  ever  came  across  to  be 
hauled  down  at  once,  there  has  been  no  occasion  for  shed- 
ding blood,  even  in  fair  and  open  fight.  Do  you  believe 
me,  Mary  ?  "  said  Gascoyne,  pausing  at  this  point. 

The  widow  was  still  silent ;  but  a  slight  inclination  of 
her  head  satisfied  the  pirate,  who  was  about  to  resume, 
when  Mr.  Mason  said :  "  Gascoyne,  do  you  call  warfare 
in  the  cause  of  robbery  by  the  name  of  '  fair  and  open 
fight. ' " 

"  No,  I  do  not.  Yet  there  have  been  great  generals 
and  admirals  in  this  world  who  have  committed  wholesale 
murder  in  this  same  cause,  and  whose  names  stand  high  oa 
the  roll  of  fame !  " 

A  look  of  scorn  rested  on  the  pirate's  face  as  he  said 
this,  but  it  passed  away  quickly. 

"  You  tell  me  that  there  were  some  of  the  men  in  the 
schooner  whom  you  kept  aboard  against  their  will !  "  said 
Mr.  Mason.  "  Did  it  never  occur  to  you,  Gascoyne,  that 
you  may  have  been  the  muiderer  of  the  soids   of  these 


menr 


?" 


218  GASCOY^^:, 

The  pirate  made  no  reply  for  some  time,  and  tlie  trou- 
bled, anxious  look  that  had  more  than  once  crossed  his  face 
returned. 

"  Yes,"  said  he.  at  length,  "  I  have  thought  of  that.  But 
it  is  done  now,  and  cannot  be  undone.  I  can  do  no  more 
now  than  give  myself  up  to  justice.  You  see,  I  have 
thrown  away  my  arms  and  stand  here  defenceless.  But  I 
did  not  come  here  to  plead  for  mercy.  I  came  to  make  to 
you  all  the  reparation  I  can  for  the  wrong  I  have  done 
you.  Wlien  that  last  act  is  completed,  you  may  do  with 
me  what  you  please.  I  deserve  to  die,  and  I  care  not  to 
live." 

"  O  Gascoyne  I  speak  not  thus  ! "  exclaimed  the  widow, 
earnestly.  "  However  much  and  deeply  you  have  sinned 
against  man,  if  you  have  not  taken  life  you  do  not  deserve 
to  die.  Besides,  there  is  a  way  of  pardon  open  to  the 
very  chief  of  sinners." 

"  I  know  what  you   mean,  Mary,  I   know   what   you 

mean ;  but well,  well,  this  is  neither   the   time  nor 

place  to  talk  of  such  things.  Your  little  girl,  Mr.  Mason, 
is  in  the  hands  of  the  pirates." 

"  I  know  that,"  said  the  missionary,  wincing  as  if  he  had 
received  a  deep  wound ;  "  but  she  is  not  in  your  power 
now." 

"  More's  the  pity  ;  she  would  have  been  safer  with  me 
than  with  my  first  mate,  who  is  the  greatest  villain  afloat 
on  the  high  seas.  He  does  not  like  our  milk-and-water 
style  of  robbing.  He  is  an  out-and-out  pirate  in  heart, 
and  has  long  desired  to  cut  my  throat.  I  have  to  thank 
him  for  being  here  to-night.  Some  of  the  crew  who 
are  like  himself  seized  me  while  I  was  asleep,  bound  and 
gagged  me,  put  me  into  a  boat,  and  rowed  me  ashore ; 
for  we  had  easily  escaped  the  Talisman  in  the  squall,  and, 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  219 

doubling  on  our  course,  came  back  here.  The  mate  was 
anxious  to  clear  off  old  scores  by  cutting  my  throat  at 
once,  and  pitching  me  into  the  sea.  Luckily  some  of  the 
men,  not  so  bloodthirsty  as  he,  objected  to  this ;  so  I  was 
landed  and  cast  loose." 

"  But  what  of  Alice  ? "  cried  Mr.  Mason,  anxiously. 
*'  How  can  we  save  her  ?  " 

"  By  taking  my  advice,"  answered  Gascoyne.  "  You 
have  a  small  cutter  at  anchor  off  the  creek  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill.  Put  a  few  trusty  men  aboard  of  her,  and  I  will 
guide  you  to  the  island  where  the  Avenger  has  been  wont 
to  fly  when  hard  pressed." 

"  But  how  do  you  know  that  Manton  will  go  there  ?  " 
inquired  Henry,  eagerly. 

"  Because  he  is  short  of  powder,  and  all  our  stores  are 
concealed  there,  besides  much  of  our  ill-gotten  wealth." 

"  And  how  can  you  expect  us  to  put  ourselves  so  com- 
pletely in  your  power  ?  "  said  Mr.  Mason. 

"  Because  you  must  do  so  if  you  would  save  your  child. 
She  is  safe  now,  I  know,  and  will  be  until  the  Avenger 
leaves  the  island  where  our  stores  are  concealed.  If  we 
do  not  save  her  before  that  happens,  she  is  lost  to  you  for- 
ever  !  " 

"  That  no  man  can  say.  She  is  in  the  hands  of  God," 
cried  Mr.  Mason,  fervently. 

"  True,  true,"  said  Gascoyne,  musing.  "  But  God  does 
not  work  by  miracles.  We  must  be  up  and  doing  at  once. 
I  promise  you  that  I  shall  be  faithful,  and  that,  after  the 
work  is  done,  I  will  give  myself  up  to  justice." 

"  May  we  trust  him,  mother  ?  "  said  Henry. 

"  You  may  trust  him,  my  son,"  replied  the  widow,  in  a 
tone  of  decision  that  satisfied  Henry,  whilo  it  callt  d  forth 
a  look  of  gratitude  from  the  pirate. 


220  GASCOYNE, 

The  party  now  proceeded  to  arrange  the  details  of  their 
plan  for  the  rescue  of  Alice  and  her  companions.  These 
were  speedily  settled,  and  Henry  rose  to  go  and  put  them 
in  train.  He  turned  the  key  of  the  door,  and  was  on  the 
point  of  lifting  the  latch,  when  this  was  done  for  him  by 
some  one  on  the  outside.  He  had  just  time  to  step  back, 
wlien  the  door  flew  open,  and  he  stood  face  to  face  with 
Hugh  Barnes  the  cooper. 

"  Have  you  heard  the  news,  Henry  ?  —  hallo !  '* 

This  abrupt  exclamation  was  caused  by  the  sight  of 
Gascoyne,  who  rose  quietly  the  moment  he  heard  the  door 
open,  and,  turning  his  back  towards  it,  walked  slowly  into 
a  small  apartment  that  opened  off  the  widow's  parlor,  and 
shut  the  door. 

"  I  say,  Henry,  who's  that  big  fellow  ?  "  said  the  cooper, 
casting  a  suspicious  glance  towards  the  little  room  into 
which  he  had  disappeared. 

"  He  is  2i  friend  of  mine,"  replied  Mrs.  Stuart,  rising 
hastily,  and  welcoming  her  visitor. 

"  Humph  !  it's  well  he's  ?i  friend^'  said  the  man,  as  he 
took  a  chair ;  "  I  shouldn't  like  to  have  him  for  an  enemy." 

"  But  what  is  the  news  you  were  so  anxious  to  tell  us?*' 
inquired  Henry. 

"  That  Gascoyne,  the  .pirate  captain,  has  been  seen  on 
the  island  by  some  of  the  women,  and  there's  a  regular 
hunt  organizing.     Will  you  go  with  us  ?  " 

"I  have  more  important  work  to  do,  Hugh,"  replied 
Henry  ;  "  besides,  I  want  you  to  go  with  me  on  a  hunt 
which  I'll  tell  you  about  if  you'll  come  with  me  to  the 
creek." 

*'  By  all  means.     Come  along." 

Henry  and  tl  e  cooper  at  once  left  tlie  cottage.  The 
latter  was  let  inta  the  secret,  and  prevailed  on  to  form  ono 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  221 

of  the  crew  of  the  Wasp,  as  the  little  cutter  was  named. 
In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  everything  was  in  readi- 
ness. Gascoyne  waited  till  the  dusk  of  evening,  and  then 
embarked  along  with  Ole  Thorwald ;  that  stout  individ- 
ual hriving  insisted  on  being  one  of  the  party,  despite  the 
remonstrances  of  Mr.  Mason,  who  did  not  like  to  leave 
the  settlement,  even  for  a  brief  period,  so  completely  de- 
prived of  all  its  leading  men.  But  Ole  entertained  a  sus- 
picion that  Gascoyne  intended  to  give  them  the  slip  ;  and 
having  privately  made  up  his  mind  to  prevent  this,  he  was 
not  to  be  denied. 

The  men  who  formed  the  crew  —  twelve  in  number  — 
were  selected  from  among  those  natives  and  settlers  who 
were  known  never  to  have  seen  the  pirate  captain.  They 
were  chosen  with  a  view  to  their  fighting  qualities;  for 
Gascoyne  and  Henry  were  sufficient  for  the  management 
of  the  little  craft.  There  were  no  large  guns  on  board, 
but  all  the  men  were  well  armed  with  cutlasses,  muskets, 
and  pistols. 

Thus  equipped,  the  Wasp  stood  out  to  sea  with  a  light 
breeze,  just  as  the  moon  rose  on  the  coral  reef  and  cast  a 
shower  of  sparkling  silver  across  the  bay. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A  TERRIBLE  DOOM  FOR  AN  INNOCENT  MAN. 

"'*  So,  you're  to  be  banged  for  a  pirate,  Jo  Bumpus,  ye 
are.     That's  pleasant  to  think  of,  anyhow." 

Such  was  the  remark  which  our  stout  seaman  addressed 
to  himself  when  he  awoke  on  the  second  morning  after  the 
departure  of  the  "Wasp.  If  the  thought  was  really  as 
pleasant  as  be  asserted  it  to  be,  his  visage  must  have  been 
a  bad  index  to  the  state  of  his  mind ;  for  at  that  particular 
moment  Jo  looked  uncommonly  miserable. 

The  wonted  good-humored  expression  of  his  countenance 
had  given  place  to  a  gaze  of  stereotyped  surprise  and  so- 
lemnity. Indeed,  Bumpus  seemed  to  have  parted  with 
much  of  his  reason,  and  all  of  his  philosophy ;  for  he  could 
say  nothing  else  during  at  least  half  an  hour  after  awaking 
except  the  phrase,  "  So  you're  going  to  be  hanged  for  a 
pirate."  His  comments  on  the  phrase  were,  however,  a 
little  varied,  though  always  brief;  such  as,  "Wot  a  sell! 
Who'd  ha'  thought  it !  It's  a  dream,  it  is,  —  an  'orrible 
dream!  /don't  believe  it;  who  does?  Wot'll  your  poor 
mother  say  ?  " —  and  the  like. 

Bumpus  had,  unfortunately,  good  ground  for  making  this 
statement. 

After  the  cutter  sailed  it  was  discovered  that  Bumpus 
was  concealed  in  Mrs.  Stuart's  cottage.  This  discovery 
ha  J  been  the  result  of  the  seaman's  own  recklessness  and 


THE  sakda;l-wood  trader.  223 

indiscretion ;  for  when  he  ascertained  that  he  was  to  be 
kept  a  prisoner  in  the  cottage  until  the  return  of  the  Wasp, 
he  at  once  made  up  his  mind  to  submit  with  a  good  grace 
to  what  could  not  be  avoided.  In  order  to  prove  that  he 
was  by  no  means  cast  down,  as  well  as  to  lighten  the  te- 
dium of  liis  confinement,  Jo  entertained  himself  by  singing 
snatches  of  sea  songs-;  such  as,  "My  tight  little  craft," 
—  "A  life  on  the  stormy  sea," — "Oh  for  a  draught  of  the 
howling  blast !  "  etc. ;  all  of  which  he  delivered  in  a  bass 
voice  so  powerful  that  it  caused  the  rafters  of  the  widow's 
cottage  to  ring  again. 

These  melodious,  not  to  say  thunderous  sounds,  also 
caused  the  ears  of  a  small  native  youth  to  tingle  with  curi- 
osity. This  urchin  crept  on  his  brown  little  knees  under 
the  window  of  Bumpus's  apartment,  got  on  his  brown  and 
dirty  little  tiptoes,  placed  his  brown  little  hands  on  the  sill, 
hauled  his  brown  and  half-naked  little  body  up  by  sheer 
force  of  muscle,  and  peeped  into  the  room  with  his  large 
and  staring  brown  eyes,  the  whites  of  which  were  displayed 
to  their  full  extent. 

Jo  was  in  the  middle  of  an  enthusiastic  "  Oh ! "  when  the 
urchin's  head  appeared.  Instead  of  expressing  his  pas- 
sionate desire  for  a  "draught  of  the  howling  blast,"  he 
prolonged  the  "  Oh ! "  into  a  hideous  yell,  and  thrust  his 
blazing  face  close  to  the  window  so  suddenly  that  the  boy 
let  go  his  hold,  fell  backwards,  and  rolled  head  over  heels 
into  a  ditch,  out  of  which  he  scrambled  with  violent  haste, 
and  ran  with  the  utmost  possible  precipitancy  to  his  native 
home  on  the  seashore. 

Here  he  related  what  he  had  seen  to  his  father.  The 
father  went  and  looked  in  upon  Jo's  solitude.  He  hap- 
pened to  have  seen  Bumpus  during  the  great  fight,  and 
knew  him  to  be  one  of  the  pirates.     The  village  rose  en 


224  GASCOYNE, 

masse.  Some  of  the  worst  characters  ii  it  stirred  up  the 
rest,  went  to  the  widow's  cottage,  and  demanded  that  the 
person  of  the  pirate  should  be  delivered  up. 

The  widow  objected.  The  settlers  insisted.  The  widow 
protested.  The  settlers  threatened  force.  Upon  this  the 
widow  reasoned  with  them ;  besought  them  to  remember 
that  the  missionary  would  be  back  in  a  day  or  two,  and 
that  it  would  be  well  to  have  his  advice  before  they  did 
anything,  and  finally  agreed  to  give  up  her  charge  on  re- 
ceiving a  promise  that  he  should  have  a  fair  trial. 

Bumpus  was  accordingly  bound  with  ropes,  led  in  tri- 
umph through  the  village,  and  placed  in  a  strong  wooden 
building  which  was  used  as  the  jail  of  the  place. 

The  trial  that  followed  was  a  mere  mockery.  The 
leading  spirits  of  it  were  those  who  had  been  styled  by 
Mr.  Mason,  "enemies  within  the  camp."  They  elected 
themselves  to  the  offices  of  prosecutor  and  judge,  as  well 
as  taking  the  trouble  to  act  the  part  of  juiymen  and  wit- 
nesses. Poor  John  Bumpus's  doom  was  sealed  before  the 
trial  began.  They  had  prejudged  the  case,  and  only  went 
through  the  form  to  ease  their  own  consciences  and  to 
fulfil  their  promise  to  the  widow. 

It  was  in  vain  that  Bumpus  asserted,  with  a  bold,  honest 
countenance,  that  he  was  not  a  pirate,  that  he  never  had 
been,  and  never  would  be  a  pirate ;  that  he  didn't  believe 
the  Foam  was  a  pirate  —  though  he  was  free  to  confess  its 
crew  "  wos  bad  enough  for  anything  a'most ; "  that  he  had 
been  hu-ed  in  South  America  (where  he  had  been  ship- 
wrecked) by  Captain  Gascoyne,  the  sandal-wood  trader; 
that  he  had  made  the  voyage  straight  from  that  coast  to 
this  island  without  meeting  a  single  sail ;  and  that  he  had 
never  seen  a  shot  fired  or  a  cutlass  drawn  aboard  the 
schooner. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TIIADER.  225 

To  all  this  there  was  but  oue  coarsely-expressed  answer, 
. —  "  It  is  a  lie !  "  Jo  had  no  proof  to  give  of  the  truth  of 
what  he  said,  so  he  was  condemned  to  be  hanged  by  the 
neck  till  he  should  be  dead ;  and  as  his  judges  were  afraid 
that  the  return  of  the  Wasp  might  interfere  with  their 
proceeding,  it  was  arranged  that  he  should  be  executed  on 
the  following  day  at  noon. 

It  must  not  be  imagined,  that,  in  a  Christian  village  such 
as  we  have  described,  there  was  no  one  who  felt  that  this 
trial  was  too  hastily  gone  into,  and  too  violently  conducted. 
But  those  who  were  inclined  to  take  a  merciful  view  of 
the  case,  and  who  plead  for  delay,  were  cheifly  natives, 
while  the  violent  party  was  composed  of  most  of  the  ill- 
disposed  European  settlers. 

The  natives  had  been  so  much  accustomed  to  put  confi- 
dence in  the  wisdom  of  the  white  men  since  their  conver- 
sion to  Christianity,  that  they  felt  unable  to  cope  with  them 
on  this  occasion ;  so  that  Bumpus,  after  being  condemned, 
was  led  away  to  his  prison,  and  left  alone  to  his  own 
reflections. 

It  chanced  that  there  was  one  friend  left,  unintentionally, 
in  the  cell  with  the  condemned  man.  This  was  none  other 
than  our  friend  Toozle,  the  mass  of  ragged  door-mat 
on  which  Alice  doted  so  fondly.  This  little  dog  had, 
during  the  course  of  events  which  have  taken  so  long  to 
recount,  done  nothing  worthy  of  being  recorded.  He  had, 
indeed,  been  much  in  every  one's  way,  when  no  one  had 
had  time  or  inclination  to  take  notice  of  liim.  He  had, 
being  an  affectionate  dog,  and  desirous  of  much  sympathy, 
courted  attention  frequently,  and  had  received  many  kicks 
and  severe  rebuffs  for  his  pains  ;  and  he  had  also,  being  a 
tender-hearted  dog,  howled  dreadfully  when  he  lost  his 
young  mistress  ;  but  he  had  not  in  any  way  promoted  the 
15 


226  GASCOYNE, 

interests  of  humanity,  or  advanced  the  ends  of  justice 
Hence  our  long  silence  in  regard  to  him. 

Recollecting  that  he  had  witnessed  evidences  of  a  friendly 
relation  subsisting  between  Alice  and  Bumpus,  Toozla 
straightway  sought  to  pour  the  overflowing  love  and  sorrow 
of  his  large  little  heart  into  the  bosom  of  that  supposed 
pirate.  His  advances  were  well  received,  and  from  that 
hour  he  followed  the  seaman  like  his  shadow.  He  shared 
his  prison  with  him,  trotted  behind  him  when  he  walked 
up  and  down  his  room  in  the  widow's  cottage ;  lay  down 
at  his  feet  when  he  rested ;  looked  up  inquiringly  in  his 
face  when  he  paused  to  meditate ;  whined  and  wagged  his 
stump  of  a  tail  when  he  was  taken  notice  of,  and  lay  down 
to  sleep  in  deep  humility  when  he  was  neglected. 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  Toozle  attended  the  tiial  of 
Bumpus,  entered  his  cell  along  with  him,  slept  with  him 
during  the  night,  accompanied  him  to  the  gallows  in  the 
morning,  and  sat  under  him  when  they  were  adjusting  the 
noose,  looking  up  with  feelings  of  unutterable  dismay,  as 
clearly  indicated  by  the  lugubrious  and  woebegone  cast  of 
his  ragged  countenance.     But  we  are  anticipating. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  his  execution  that  Bumpus 
sat  on  the  edge  of  his  hard  pallet,  gazed  at  his  manacled 
wrists,  and  gave  vent  to  the  sentiments  set  down  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter. 

Toozle  sat  down  at  his  feet,  looking  up  in  his  face  sym- 
pathetically. 

"  No,  I  dorCt  believe  it's  possible,"  said  Bumpus,  for  at 
least  the  hundredth  time  that  morning.  "  It's  a  joke  ;  that's 
w  3t  it  is.     Aint  it,  Toozle,  my  boy  ?  " 

Toozle  whined,  wagged  his  tail,  and  said,  as  plainly  as 
if  he  had  spoken : 

"Yes,  of  course  it  is,  —  an  uncommonly  bad  jcke,  no 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  227 

doubt ;  but  a  joke,  undoubtedly ;  so  keep  up  your  heart, 
my  man." 

"  Ah !  you're  a  funny  dog,"  continued  Bumpus ;  "but 
you  don't  know  what  it  is  to  be  hanged,  my  boy.  Hanged! 
why  it's  agin  all  laws  o'  justice,  moral  an'  otherwise,  it  is. 
But  I'm  dreamin' ;  yes,  it's  dreamin'  I  am ;  but  I  don't 
think  I  ever  did  dream  that  I  thought  I  was  dreamin'  an' 
yet  wasn't  quite  sure.  Really,  it's  perplexin',  to  say  the 
least  on  it.     Aint  it  Toozle  ?  " 

Toozle  wao^^ed  his  tail. 

"  Ah,  here  comes  my  imaginary  jailer  to  let  me  out  o* 
this  here  abominably  real-lookin'  imaginary  lockup.  Hang 
Jo  Bumpus !  —  why,  it's  —  " 

Before  Jo  could  find  words  sufficiently  strong  to  express 
his  opinion  of  such  a  murderous  intention,  the  door  opened, 
and  a  surly-looking  man  —  a  European  settler  —  entered 
with  his  breakfast.  This  meal  consisted  of  a  baked  bread- 
fruit and  a  can  of  water. 

"Ha!  you've  come  to  let  me  out,  have  you?"  cried 
Jo,  in  a  tone  of  forced  pleasantry,  which  was  anything  but 
cheerful. 

"  Have  I  though ! "  said  the  man,  setting  down  the  food 
on  a  small  deal  table  that  stood  at  the  head  of  the  bedstead ; 
"  don't  think  it,  my  man ;  your  time's  up  in  another  two 
hours.     Hallo !  where  got  ye  the  dog  ?  " 

"  It  came  in  with  me  last  night,  —  to  keep  me  company, 
I  fancy,  which  is  more  than  the  human  dogs  o'  this  mur- 
derin'  place  had  the  civility  to  do.'* 

"  If  it  had  know'd  you  was  a  murderin'  pirate,"  retorted 
the  jailer,  "  it  would  ha'  thought  twice  before  it  would  ha' 
chose  you  for  a  comiade.'' 

"  Come,  now,"  said  Bumpus,  in  a  remonstrative  tone ; 
"you  dou't  really  b'lieve  I'm  a  pirate,  do  you  ?  " 


228  GASCOYNE, 

"  In  coorse  I  do." 

"  Well,  now,  that's  'xtror'nary.  Does  everybcdy  else 
think  that  too?" 

«  Everybody." 

"  An'  am  I  really  goln'  to  be  hanged  ?  " 

"  Till  you're  dead  as  mutton." 

"  That's  entertainin',  aint  it,  Toozle  ?  "  cried  poor  Bum* 
pu?,  wiih  a  laugh  of  desperation ;  for  he  found  it  utterly 
impossible  to  persuade  himself  to  believe  in  the  reality  of 
his  awful  position. 

As  he  said  nothing  more,  the  jailer  went  away,  and 
Bumpus,  after  heaving  two  or  three  very  deep  sighs,  at- 
tempted to  partake  of  his  meagre  breakfast.  The  effort 
was  a  vain  one.  The  bite  stuck  in  his  throat ;  so  he  washed 
it  down  with  a  gulp  of  water,  and,  for  the  first  time  in  his 
life,  made  up  his  mind  to  go  without  his  breakfast. 

A  little  before  twelve  o'clock  the  door  again  opened, 
and  the  surly  jailer  entered,  bearing  a  halter,  and  accom- 
panied by  six  stout  men.  The  irons  were  now  removed 
from  Bumpus's  wrists,  and  his  arms  pinioned  behind  his 
back.  Being  almost  stupified  with  amazement  at  his 
position,  he  submitted  without  a  struggle. 

"  I  say,  friends,"  he  at  last  exclaimed,  "  would  any 
amount  of  oaths  took  before  a  maginstrate  convince  ye 
that  I'm  not  a  pirate,  but  a  true-blue  seaman  ?  " 

"  If  you  were  to  swear  from  this  time  till  doomsday  it 
would  make  no  difference.  You  admit  that  you  were  one 
of  the  Foam's  crew.  We  now  know  that  the  Foam  and 
the  Avenger  are  the  same  schooner.  Birds  of  a  feather 
flock  together.  A  pirate  would  swear  anything  to  save 
his  life.     Come,  —  time's  up/' 

Bumpus  bent  his  head  for  a  minute.  The  truth  forced 
itself  upon  him  now  in  all  its  dread  reality.     But  no  un 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  229 

manly  terrors  filled  his  breast  at  tliat  moment.  The  fear 
of  man  or  of  violent  death  was  a  sensation  which  the  seaman 
never  knew.  The  feeling  of  the  huge  injustice  that  was 
about  to  be  done  filled  him  with  generous  indignation  ;  the 
blood  rushed  to  his  temples,  and,  with  a  bound  like  a  tiger, 
he  leaped  out  of  the  jailer's  grasp,  hurling  him  to  the 
ground  in  the  act. 

With  the  strength  almost  of  a  Samson  he  wrestled  with 
his  cords  for  a  few  seconds ;  but  they  were  new  and 
strong.  He  failed  to  burst  them.  In  another  moment  he 
was  overpowered  by  the  six  men  who  guarded  him.  True 
to  his  principles,  he  did  his  utmost  to  escape.  Strong  in 
the  faith  that  while  there  is  life  there  is  hope,  he  did  not 
cease  to  struggle,  like  a  chained  giant,  until  he  was  placed 
under  the  limb  of  the  fatal  tree  which  had  been  selected, 
and  round  which  an  immense  crowd  of  natives  and  white 
settlers  had  gathered. 

During  the  previous  night  the  "Widow  Stuart  had  striven 
to  save  the  man  whom  she  knew  to  be  honest ;  for  Gas- 
coyne  had  explained  to  her  all  about  his  being  engaged  in 
his  service.  But  those  to  whom  she  appealed,  even  on 
her  knees,  were  immovable.  They  considered  the  proof 
of  the  man's  guilt  quite  conclusive,  and  regarded  the  wid- 
ow's intercession  as  the  mere  weakness  of  a  tender-hearted 
woman. 

On  the  following  morning,  and  again  beside  the  fatal 
tree  itself,  the  widow  plead  for  the  man's  life  with  all  her 
powers  of  eloquence ;  but  in  vain.  When  all  hope  ap- 
peared to  have  passed  away,  she  could  not  stand  to  witness 
so  horrible  a  murder.  She  fled  to  her  cottage,  and,  throw- 
ing herself  on  her  bed,  burst  into  an  agony  of  tears  and 
prayer. 

But  there  were  some  among  the  European  i^ettlers  ther« 


230  GASCOTXE, 

who,  now  that  things  had  come  to  a  point,  felt  ill  at  ease, 
and  would  fain  have  washed  their  hands  of  the  whole 
affair.  Others  there  were  who  judged  the  man  from  his 
countenance  and  his  acts,  not  from  circumstances.  These 
remonstrated  even  to  the  last,  and  advised  delay.  But  the 
half-dozen  who  were  set  upon  the  man's  death  —  not  to 
gratify  a  thirst  for  blood,  but  to  execute  due  justice  on  a 
pirate  whom  they  abhorred  —  were  influential  and  violent 
men.  They  silenced  all  opposition  at  last,  and  John 
Bumpus  finally  had  the  noose  put  round  his  neck. 

"  O  Susan  !  Susan  ! "  cried  the  poor  man,  in  an  agony 
of  intense  feeling,  "  it's  little  ye  thought  your  Jo  would 
come  to  such  an  end  as  this  when  ye  last  sot  eyes  on  him 
^-  an'  sweet  blue  eyes  they  wos,  too  ! " 

There  was  something  ludicrous  as  well  as  pathetic  in 
this  cry.  It  did  more  for  him  than  the  most  eloquent 
pleading  could  have  done.  Man  in  a  crowd,  is  an  unsta- 
ble being.  At  any  moment  he  will  veer  right  round  and 
run  in  an  opposite  direction.  The  idea  that  the  condemned 
man  had  a  Susan  who  would  mourn  over  his  untimely  end 
touched  a  cord  in  the  hearts  of  many  among  the  crowd. 
The  reference  to  her  sweet  blue  eyes  at  such  a  moment 
raised  a  smile,  and  an  extremely  dismal  but  opportune 
howl  from  poor  Toozle  raised  a  laugh. 

Bumpus  started,  and  looked  sternly  on  the  crowd. 

"  You  may  think  me  a  pirate,"  said  he  ;  "  but  I  know 
enough  of  the  feelin's  of  honest  men  to  expect  no  mercy 
from  those  wot  can  laugh  at  a  fellow-creetur  in  such  an 
hour.     You  had  better  get  the  murder  over  as  soon  as  ye 

can.     I  am  ready Stay  !  one  moment  more.     I  had 

a'most  forgot  it.  There's  a  letter  here  that  I  want  one  o' 
you  to  take  charge  of.  It's  the  last  I  ever  got  from  my 
Susaa;  an'  ii  I  had  taken  her  advice  to  let  alone  havin' 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  231 

to  do  with  all  sandal-wood  traders,  I'd  never  ha'  bin  in 
such  a  fix  as  I  am  this  day.  I  want  it  sent  back  to  her, 
with  my  blessin'  and  a  lock  o'  my  hair.  Is  there  an  hon- 
est man  among  ye  who'll  take  in  hand  to  do  this  for  me  ?  '* 

As  he  spoke,  a  young  man,  in  a  costume  somewhat 
resembling  that  of  a  sailor,  pushed  through  the  crowd, 
leaped  upon  the  deal  table  on  which  Jo  stood,  and  removed 
the  noose  from  his  neck. 

An  exclamation  of  anger  burst  from  those  who  sur- 
I'ounded  the  table ;  but  a  sound  something  like  applause 
broke  from  the  crowd,  and  restrained  any  attempt  at  vio- 
lence. The  young  man  at  the  same  time  held  up  his  hand, 
and  asked  leave  to  address  them. 

"  Ay !  ay !  let's  hear  what  he  has  got  to  say.  That's  it : 
speak  up,  Dan  !  " 

The  youth,  whose  dark  olive  complexion  proclaimed 
him  to  be  a  half-caste,  and  whose  language  showed  that  he 
had  received  at  least  the  rudiments  of  education,  stretched 
out  his  hand  and  said : 

"  Friends,  I  do  not  stand  here  to  interfere  with  justice. 
Those  who  seek  to  give  a  pirate  his  just  reward  do  well. 
But  there  has  been  doubt  in  the  minds  of  some  that  this 
man  may  not  be  a  pirate.  His  own  word  is  of  no  value  ; 
but  if  I  can  bring  forward  anything  to  show  that  perhaps 
his  word  is  true,  then  we  have  no  right  to  hang  him  till 
we  have  given  him  a  longer  trial." 

"  Hear  !  hear !  "  from  the  white  men  in  the  crowd,  and 
"  Ho  !  ho  !  "  from  the  natives. 

Meanwhile  the  young  man,  or  Dan,  as  some  one  called 
him;  turned  to  Bumpus  and  asked  for  the  letter  to  which 
he  had  referred.  Being  informed  that  it  was  in  the  inside 
pocket  of  his  jacket,  the  youth  put  his  hand  in  and  drew 
it  forth. 


232  GASCOTNE, 

"  May  I  read  it  ?  Your  life  may  depend  on  what  I  find 
here." 

"  Sartinly,  —  by  all  manner  of  means,"  replied  Jo,  not 
a  little  surprised  at  the  turn  affairs  were  taking. 

Dan  opened  and  perused  the  epistle  for  a  few  minutes, 
during  which  intense  silence  was  maintained  in  the  crowd, 
as  if  they  expected  to  hear  the  thoughts  of  the  young  man 
as  they  passed  through  his  brain. 

"  Ha !  I  thought  so,"  exclaimed  Dan,  looking  up  and 
again  addressing  the  crowd.  "  At  the  trial  yesterday  you 
heard  this  man  say  that  he  was  engaged  at  San  Francisco 
by  Gascoyne  on  the  12th  of  April  last,  and  that  he  beheved 
the  schooner  to  be  a  sandal-wood  trader  when  he  shipped." 

"  Yes,  yes,  —  ho !  "  from  the  crowd. 

"  If  this  statement  of  his  be  true,  then  he  was  not  a  pi- 
rate when  he  shipped,  and  he  has  not  had  much  time  to  be- 
come one  between  that  time  and  this.  The  letter  which  I 
hold  in  my  hand  proves  the  truth  of  this  statement.  It  is 
dated  San  Francisco,  11th  April,  and  is  written  in  a  fe- 
male hand.  Listen,  —  I  will  read  it ;  and  you  shall  judge 
for  youselves." 

The  young  man  then  read  the  following  letter,  which, 
bemg  a  peculiar  as  well  as  an  interesting  specimen  of  a 
love-letter,  we  give  verbatim  et  literatim : 

"  reelers  farm  near 
"  For  Sanl'rausko  Apri  i  11 

John  bumpuss, 
aboord  the  Schooner  feme 

"  my  darlin  Jo, 

"ever  sins  you  towld  me  yisterday that  youd  oin  an 
gaged  yerself  into  the  fome,  my  mind  has  been  i)naisy, 
ye  no,  darhnt,  from  the  our  ye  cald  me  yer  owi  Susan, 
in  dare  county,  Mort  betoken,  iv  bin  onaisy  about  ye  yei 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  233 

SO  bowld  an  Rekles.  but  this  is  wurst  ov  all.  iv  no  no- 
shun  0  them  san die-wood  skooners.  the  Haf  ov  thems 
pirits  an  The  other  hafs  no  better,  whats  wus  is  that  my 
owld  master  was  drownded  in  wan,  or  out  o  wan,  but 
shure  its  All  the  Saim.  down  he  wint  an  that  wos  the 
Endd. 

"  now  Deer  jo  dont  go  to  say  in  that  skooner  i  beseech 
ye,  jo.  ye  towld  me  that  ye  liked  the  looks  o  the  cappen 
and  halted  the  looks  o  the  Krew.  Now  deer,  take  warnln 
think  ov  me.  think  ov  the  words  in  the  coppie  book 
weev  writ  so  often  together  at  owld  makmahons  skool, 
eevil  cmunishakens  Krupt  yer  maners,  i  misrember  it,  but 
ye  no  wot  id  be  sayin'  to  ye. 

"  o  jo  Dont  go,  but  cum  an  see  me  as  soon  as  iver  ye 
can 

"yours  til  deth. 

Susan." 

"p.  s.  the  piggs  is  quite  livly  but  ther  not  so  hansum 
heer  as  in  the  owld  country,  don't  forgit  to  rite  to  your 
susan." 

No  one  can  conceive  the  indignation  that  swelled  the 
broad  chest  of  honest  John  Bumpus  when  he  listened  to 
the  laughter  with  which  some  parts  of  this  letter  were 
received. 

"  Now,"  said  Dan,  "  could  any  man  want  better  proof 
than  this  that  John  Bumpus  is  not  a  pirate  ?  " 

This  question  was  answered  by  a  perfect  yell  from  the 
crowd. 

"  Set  him  free  !  cut  his  cords  !  "  cried  a  voice. 

"  Stop,  friends,"  cried  a  big,  coarse-looking  man,  leaping 
on  tlie  table  and  jostling  Dan  out  of  the  way.  "  Not 
quite  so  fast,     i  don't  pretend  to  be  a  learned  feller,  and 


234  GASCOTNE, 

I  can't  make  a  speech  with  a  buttery  tongue  like  Daa 
here.     But  wot  I've  got  to  saj  is  —  Justice  forever !  " 

"  Hurrah ! "  from  some  of  the  wild  spirits  of  the  crowd. 
**  Go  on,  Burke,"  from  others. 

"  Yes,  wot  I  say  is  —  Justice  forever  !  Fair  play  an' 
no  favor  :  that's  wot  I  say  !  " 

Another  cheer  greeted  the  bold  assertion  of  these  noble 
sentiments. 

"Now,  here  it  is,"  continued  Burke,  becoming  much 
excited,  "  wot's  to  hinder  that  there  letter  oein'  a  forgery  ? 
—  ay,  that's  the  word,  a  forgery?  (Hear!  hear!)  got  up 
apurpose  to  bamboozle  us  chaps  that  aint  lawyers.  D'ye 
see  ?  " 

Burke  glanced  at  Dan,  and  smote  his  thigh  triumph- 
antly as  he  said  this. 

"  It  does  not  look  like  a  forgery,"  said  Dan  holding,  up 
the  letter  and  pointing  to  the  writing.  "  I  leave  it  to 
yourselves  to  say  if  it  sounds  like  a  forgery  — " 

" I  don't  cai'e  a  farthin'  dip  for  yer  looks  and  sounds" 
cried  Burke,  interrupting  the  other.  "  No  man  is  goin* 
for  to  tell  me  that  anybody  can  trust  to  looks  and  sounds. 
Why,  I've  know'd  the  greatest  villain  that  ever  chewed 
the  end  of  a  smuggled  cigar  look  as  innocent  as  the  babe 
unborn.  An'  is  there  a  man  here  wot'll  tell  me  he  hasn't 
often  an'  over  again  mistook  the  crack  of  a  big  gun  for  a 
clap  o'  thunder  ?  " 

This  was  received  with  much  approval  bj  the  crowd, 
which  had  evidently  more  than  half-forgotten  the  terrible 
purpose  for  which  it  had  assembled  there,  and  was  now 
much  interested  in  what  bade  fair  to  be  a  keen  dispute. 
When  the  noise  abated,  Dan  raised  his  voice  and  said : 

"  If  Burke  1  ad  not  interrupted  me,  I  was  going  to  have 
said  that  anotlier  thing  which  proves  the  lettei  to  be  no 


THE  SAm)AL-WOOD  TRADER.  235 

forgery  is,  that  the  postmark  of  San  Francisco  is  on  the 

back  of  it,  with  the  date  all  right." 

This  statement  delighted  the  crowd  immensely,  and 
caused  Burke  to  look  disconcerted  for  a  few  seconds  ;  he 
rallied,  however,  and  returned  to  the  charge. 

"  Postmarks  !  wot  do  I  care  for  postmarks  ?  Can't  a 
man  forge  a  postmark  as  easy  as  any  other  mark  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  that's  true,"  from  a  voice  in  the  crowd. 

"  No,  not  so  easily  as  any  other  mark,"  retorted  Dan  ; 
"  for  it's  made  wdth  a  kind  of  ink  that's  not  sold  in  shops. 
Everything  goes  to  prove  that  the  letter  is  no  forgery. 
But,  Mr.  Burke,  will  you  answer  me  this.  If  it  was  a 
forgery,  got  up  for  the  purpose  of  saving  this  man's  life, 
at  what  time  was  it  forged  ?  for  Bumpus  could  not  know 
that  he  would  ever  need  such  a  letter  until  yesterday 
Afternoon,  and  between  that  time  and  this  there  was  but 
little  time  to  forge  a  letter  from  San  Francisco,  postmark 
and  all,  and  make  it  soiled  and  worn  at  the  edges  like  an 
old  letter.  ['  Hear ! '  and  sensation.]  More  than  that," 
cried  Dan,  waxing  eager  and  earnest,  "  if  it  was  a  forgery, 
got  up  for  the  purpose,  ivhy  was  it  not  jjroduced  at  the 
trial  ?  ['  Hear  !  hear  ! '  and  cheers  !  ]  And,  last  of  all,  why, 
if  this  forgery  was  so  important  to  him,  did  John  Bumpus 
forget  all  about  it  until  he  stood  on  this  table  ;  ay,  until 
the  rope  was  round  his  neck  ?  " 

A  perfect  storm  of  cheers  and  applause  followed  this  last 
sentence,  in  the  midst  of  which  there  were  cries  of  "  You're 
floored,  Burke  !     Hurrah  for  Bumpus  !     Cut  the  ropes  !  " 

But  although  John's  life  was  now  safe,  his  indignation 
at  Susan's  letter  having  been  laughed  at  was  not  alto- 
gether allayed. 

"I'll  tell  ye  wot  it  is,"  said  he,  the  instant  thire  was  a 
lull  in  the  uproar  of  voices.     "  If  you  think  that  I'll  ttand 


236  GASCOTNE. 

here  and  see  my  Susan's  letter  insulted  before  my  eyes, 
you're  very  far  out  o'  your  reckoning.  Just  cut  them 
ropes,  an'  put  any  two  o'  yer  biggest  men,  black  or  white, 
before  me,  an'  if  I  don't  show  them  a  lot  o'  new  stars  as 
hasn't  been  seed  in  no  sky  wotiver  since  Adam  was  a  little 
boy,  my  name's  — " 

Up  to  this  point  Jo  was  heard  ;  but  the  conclusion  of  his 
defiance  was  drowned  in  roars  of  laughter. 

"  Cut  the  ropes ! "  shouted  the  crowd. 

Dan  drew  a  clasp-knife  from  his  pocket,  and  with  one 
stroke  set  Bumpus  free. 

"  Shoulder  high  !  "  yelled  a  voice  ;  "  hurrah  ! " 

A  wild  rush  was  made  at  the  table.  Jo's  executioners 
were  overturned  and  trampled  under  foot,  and  the  table, 
with  himself  and  his  young  advocate  sprawling  on  it,  was 
raised  on  the  shoulders  of  the  crowd  and  borne  off  in  tri- 
umph. 

Half  an  hour  later,  Bumpus  was  set  down  at  the  widow's 
door.  Mrs.  Stuart  received  him  with  a  scream  of  surprise 
and  joy,  for  she  had  given  him  up  as  a  lost  man. 

"  Now,  then,  Mrs.  Stuart,"  said  Jo,  throwing  himself  on 
a  chair  and  wiping  the  perspiration  from  his  forehead, 
"  don't  make  such  a  fuss  about  me,  like  a  good  creetur.  But 
do  get  me  a  bit  o'  bacon,  and  let's  be  thankful  that  I'm  here 
to  eat  it.  Cut  it  fat,  Mrs.  Stuart ;  cut  it  fat ;  for  it's  won- 
derful wot  a  appetite  I've  got  after  such  a  mornins'  work 
as  I've  gone  through.  Well,  well,  after  all  that  yer  friends 
have  said  of  ye,  Jo  Bumpus,  I  do  believe  that  jer  not  bom 
to  be  hanged !  '* 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

XSB  BENDEZVOUS  —  AN  EPISODE  —  PECULIAR  CIRCUMSTANCES. 
OTHER   MATTERS. 

About  five  or  six  days'  sail  from  the  scene  of  our  tale 
there  lies  one  of  those  small  rocks  or  islets  with  which  the 
breast  of  the  Pacific  is  in  many  places  thickly  studded. 

It  is  a  lonely  coral  isle,  far  removed  from  any  of  its 
fellows,  and  presenting  none  of  those  grand  features 
which  characterize  the  island  on  which  the  settlement  of 
Sandy  Cove  was  situated.  In  no  part  does  it  rise  more 
than  thirty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea ;  in  most  places 
it  is  little  more  than  a  few  feet  above  it.  The  coral  reefs 
around  it  are  numerous  ;  and  as  many  of  them  rise  to 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  surface,  the  navigation  in  its  neigh- 
borhood is  dangerous  in  the  extreme. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  write,  the  vegetation  of  the  isle 
was  not  very  luxuriant.  Only  a  few  clusters  of  cocoanut 
palms  grew  here  and  there  over  its  otherwise  barren  sur- 
face. In  this  respect  it  did  not  resemble  most  of  the  other 
islands  of  the  Pacific.  Owing  partly  to  its  being  out  of  the 
usual  course  of  ships,  and  partly  to  the  dangerous  reefs 
already  referred  to,  the  spot  was  never  approached  by 
vessels,  or,  if  a  ship  happened  to  be  driven  towards  it,  she 
got  out  of  its  way  a?  speedily  as  possible. 

This  was  the  rendezvous  of  the  pirates,  and  was  named 
by  them  the  Isle  of  Palms. 


238  GASCOYNE, 

Here,  in  caverns  hollowed  out  of  ihe  coral  rock,  Gas 
coyne  had  been  wont  to  secrete  such  goods  and  stores  as 
were  necessary  for  the  maintenance  of  his  piratical  course 
of  Kfe ;  and  to  this  lone  spot  did  Manton  convey  his  pris- 
oners after  getting  rid  of  his  former  commander.  Towards 
this  spot,  also,  did  Gascoyne  turn  the  prow  of  the  cutter 
TVasp  in  pursuit  of  his  mutinous  first  mate. 

Manton,  for  reasons  best  known  to  himself  (certainly 
not  from  goodness  of  heart),  was  kind  to  his  captives  to  the 
extent  of  simply  letting  them  alone.  He  declined  to  hold 
any  intercourse  whatever  v/ith  Captain  Montague,  and 
forbade  him  to  speak  with  the  men  upon  pain  of  being  con- 
fined to  his  berth.  The  young  people  were  allowed  to  do 
as  they  pleased,  so  long  as  they  kept  out  of  the  way. 

On  reaching  the  Isle  of  Palms  the  pirates  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  take  in  those  stores  of  which  they  stood  in  need. 
The  harbor  into  which  the  schooner  ran  was  a  narrow  bay, 
on  the  shores  of  which  the  palm  trees  grew  sufficiently  high 
to  prevent  her  masts  being  seen  from  the  other  side  of  the 
island.  Here  the  captives  were  landed;  but  as  Manton 
did  not  wish  them  to  witness  his  proceedings,  he  sent  them 
across  the  islet  under  the  escort  of  a  party  who  convej^ed 
them  to  the  shores  of  a  small  bay.  On  the  rocks  in  this 
bay  lay  the  wreck  of  what  once  had  been  a  noble  ship.  It 
was  now  completely  dismantled.  Her  hull  was  stove  in  by 
the  rocks.  Her  masts  and  yards  were  gone,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  their  stumps  and  the  lower  part  of  the  main- 
mast, to  which  the  mainyard  still  hung  with  a  ragged 
portion  of  the  mainsail  attached  to  it. 

A  feeling  of  depression  filled  the  breast  of  Montague 
and  his  companions  as  they  came  in  sight  of  this  wreck, 
and  the  former  attempted  to  obtain  some  information  in 
regard  (o  her  from  his  conductors;  but  they  sternly  bade 


THE  SAM)AL-WOOD  TRADER.  239 

him  ask  no  questions.  Some  time  afterwards  he  heard 
the  story  of  this  vessel's  fate.     We  shall  record  it  here. 

Not  many  months  prior  to  the  date  of  our  tale,  the 
Avenger  happened  to  have  occasion  to  run  down  to  the 
Isle  of  Palms.  Gascoyne  was  absent  at  the  time.  He  had 
been  landed  at  Sandy  Cove,  and  had  ordered  Manton  to  go 
to  the  rendezvous  for  supplies.  On  nearing  the  isle  a  storm 
arose.  The  wind  was  fair,  however,  and  the  schooner  ran 
for  her  destination  under  close-reefed  sails.  Just  before 
reaching  it  they  fell  in  with  a  large  full-rigged  ship,  which, 
on  sighting  the  schooner,  ran  up  her  flag  half-mast  high, 
as  a  signal  of  distress.  She  had  sprung  a  leak,  and  was 
sinking. 

Had  the  weather  been  calmer,  the  pirates  would  have  at 
once  boarded  the  vessel  and  carried  her  as  a  prize  into  the 
harbor ;  but  the  sea  ran  so  high  that  this  was  impossible. 
Manton  therefore  ran  down  as  close  to  the  side  of  the  mer- 
chantman (for  such  she  seemed  to  be)  as  enabled  him  to 
hail  her  through  the  speaking-trumpet.  When  sufficiently 
near  he  demanded  her  name  and  destination. 

"  The  Brilliant,  from  Liverpool,  bound  for  the  Sandwich 
Islands.     And  you  ?  " 

"  The  Foam — from  the  Feejees — for  Calcutta.  What's 
wrong  with  you  ?  " 

"Sprung  a  leak;  is  there  anchorage  in  the  bay?"  sang 
out  the  captain  of  the  merchantman. 

"  No  ;  it's  too  shoal  for  a  big  ship.  Bear  away  round  to 
the  other  side  of  the  island.  You'll  find  good  holding 
ground  there.     I'll  show  you  the  way." 

The  pirate  accordingly  conducted  the  unsuspecting  stran- 
ger away  from  the  only  safe  harbor  in  the  island,  and  led 
him  through  a  complete  labyrinth  of  reefs  and  rocks,  to  the 
bay  on  the  otiier  side,  in  which  he  knew  full  well  there 


240  GASCOYNE, 

was  scarcely  enough  of  water  to  float  his  own  little 
schooner. 

With  perfect  confidence  in  his  guide,  the  unfortunate 
captain  of  the  merchantman  followed  until  both  vessels 
were  in  the  comparatively  still  and  sheltered  waters  of  the 
bay.  Here  Man  ton  suddenly  put  down  the  helm,  brought 
his  vessel  up  to  the  wind,  and  allowed  the  stranger  to  pass 
in. 

"  Hold  on  about  sixty  fathoms  further,  and  then  let  go 
your  anchor,"  he  shouted,  as  the  ship  went  steadily  on  to 
her  doom. 

"Ay,  ay,  and  thank  'ee,"  cried  the  captain,  who  had 
already  taken  in  nearly  all  sail  and  was  quite  prepared  to 
anchor. 

But  Manton  knew  that  before  twenty  fathoms  more 
should  be  passed  over  by  the  ship  she  would  run  straight 
on  a  coral  reef,  which  rose  to  within  about  five  feet  of  the 
surface  of  the  sea.  In  an  exposed  place  this  reef  would 
have  formed  a  line  of  breakers ;  but  in  its  sheltered  position 
the  water  gave  no  indication  of  its  existence.  The  gale, 
though  not  blowing  direct  into  the  bay,  entered  it  in  a 
sufficiently  straight  line  to  carry  the  ship  onward  with 
great  speed,  notwithstanding  the  reduction  made  in  her 
canvas. 

"  Stand  by  to  let  go  the  anchor,"  cried  her  captain. 

That  was  his  last  order.  Scarcely  had  the  words  passed 
his  lips  when  the  ship  struck  with  a  shock  that  caused  her 
to  quiver  like  a  leaf  from  stem  to  stern.  All  the  top-masts 
with  their  yards  and  rigging  went  over  the  side,  and  in 
one  instant  the  fine  vessel  was  a  total  wreck. 

The  rest  of  the  story  is  soon  told.  The  pirates,  showing 
their  true  colors,  ran  alongside  and  took  possession  without 
opposition:  for  the  crow  of  the  merchantman  were  so  over* 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.         241 

whelmed  by  the  suddenness  and  appalling  nature  of  the 
calamity  that  had  befallen  them  that  they  had  no  heart  to 
resist. 

Of  course  it  was  out  of  the  question  that  the  crew  of  the 
Brilliant  could  be  allowed  to  remain  on  the  island.  Some 
of  the  pirates  suggested  that  they  should  be  put  on  a  raft, 
towed  to  leeward  of  the  island,  and,  when  out  of  sight  of 
it,  be  cast  adrift  to  float  about  until  they  should  be  picked 
up  or  get  blown  on  one  of  the  numerous  islands  that  lay 
to  the  southward  of  the  rendezvous.  Manton  and  Scraggs 
advocated  this  plan,  but  the  better-disposed  among  the 
men  protested  against  such  needless  cruelty,  and  suggested 
that  it  would  be  better  to  put  them  into  the  long-boat  of 
the  ship,  bandage  their  eyes,  then  tow  them  out  of  sight 
of  land,  and  cast  them  loose  to  steer  where  they  pleased. 

This  plan  was  adopted  and  carried  into  execution. 
Then  the  pirates  returned,  and  at  their  leisure  unloaded 
and  secured  the  cargo  of  their  prize.  It  was  richer  than 
they  had  anticipated,  being  a  miscellaneous  cargo  of  valu- 
able commodities  for  the  trading  stores  of  some  of  the 
South  Sea  merchants  and  settlers. 

The  joy  felt  by  the  pirates  on  making  this  discovery 
was  all  the  benefit  that  was  ever  derived  from  these  ill- 
gotten  gains  by  any  one  of  those  who  had  a  hand  in  that 
dastardly  deed.  Long  before  they  had  an  opportunity  of 
removing  the  goods  thus  acquired,  the  career  of  the 
Avenger  had  terminated.  But  we  must  not  anticipate 
our  story. 

On  a  green  knoll  near  the  margin  of  this  bay,  and  in 
full  view  of  the  wreck,  a  rude  tent  or  hut  was  constructed 
by  the  pirates  out  of  part  of  an  old  sail  which  had  been 
washed  ashore  from  the  wreck,  and  some  broken  spars. 
A  small  cask  of  biscuit  and  two  or  three  blankets  wer« 
16 


242  gascoitst:, 

placed  in  it,  and  here  the  captives  were  left  to  do  as  they 
pleased  until  such  tima  as  Manton  chose  to  send  for  them. 
The  only  piece  of  advice  that  was  given  to  them  by  their 
surly  jailer  was,  that  they  should  not  on  any  pretence 
whatever  cross  the  island  to  the  bay  in  which  the  schooner 
lay  at  anchor. 

"  If  ye  do,"  said  the  man  who  was  the  last  of  the  party 
to  quit  them,  "ye'il  wish  ye  hadn't  —  that's  all.  Take  my 
advice,  and  keep  yer  kooriosity  in  yer  breeches'  pockets.'* 

With  this  caution  they  were  left  to  their  own  devices 
and  meditations. 

It  was  a  lovely,  calm  evening,  at  sunset,  when  our  four 
unfortunate  friends  were  thus  left  alone  in  these  strange 
circumstances.  The  effect  of  their  forlorn  condition  was 
veiy  different  on  each.  Poopy  flung  herself  down  on  the 
ground,  inside  the  tent,  and  began  to  sob  ;  Alice  sat  down 
beside  her,  and  wept  silently ;  whilst  Montague,  forgetting 
his  own  sorrows  in  his  pity  for  the  poor  young  creatures 
who  had  been  thus  strangely  linked  to  him  in  affliction,  sat 
down  opposite  to  Alice,  and  sought  to  comfort  her. 

Will  Corrie,  feeling  that  he  could  do  nothing  to  cheer 
his  companions  in  the  circumstances,  and  being  unable  to 
sit  still,  rose,  and  going  out  at  the  end  of  the  tent,  both 
sides  of  which  were  open,  stood  leaning  on  a  pole,  and 
contemplated  the  scene  before  him. 

In  a  small  creek,  or  indentation  of  the  shore,  close  to  the 
knoll  on  which  the  tent  stood,  two  of  the  pirates  were 
working  at  a  boat  which  lay  there.  Corrie  could  not  at 
first  understand  what  they  were  about ;  but  he  was  soon 
enlightened ;  for,  after  hauling  the  boat  as  far  out  of  the 
water  as  they  could,  they  left  her  there,  and  followed  their 
comrades  to  the  o'.her  side  of  the  island,  carrying  the  oar.s 
along  with  them. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  243 

The  spirit  that  dwelt  in  Corrie's  breast  was  a  very 
peculiar  one.  Up  to  this  point  in  his  misfortunes  tlie  poor 
boy  had  been  subdued,  —  overwhelmed  by  the  suddenness 
and  the  terrible  nature  of  the  calamity  that  had  befallen 
him,  or,  rather,  that  had  befallen  Alice;  for,  to  do  liim 
justice,  he  only  thought  of  her.  Indeed,  he  carried  this 
feeling  so  far  that  he  had  honestly  confessed  to  himself, 
in  a  mental  soliloquy,  the  night  on  which  he  had  been 
captured,  he  did  not  care  one  straw  for  himself,  or  Poopy,  or 
Captain  Montague;  that  his  whole  and  sole  distress  of 
mind  and  body  was  owing  to  the  grief  into  which  Alice 
had  been  plunged.  He  had  made  an  attempt  to  comfort 
her  one  night  on  the  voyage  to  the  Isle  of  Palms,  when 
she  and  Poopy  and  he  w^ere  left  alone  togetlier ;  but  he 
failed.  After  one  or  two  efforts  he  ended  by  bursting  into 
tears,  and  then,  choking  himself  violently  with  his  own 
hands,  said  that  he  w^as  ashamed  of  himself,  that  he  wasn't 
crying  for  himself  but  for  her  (Alice),  and  that  he  hoped 
she  wouldn't  think  the  worse  of  him  for  being  so  like  a 
baby.  Here  he  turned  to  Poopy,  and  in  a  most  unreason- 
able manner  began  to  scold  her  for  being  at  the  bottom  of 
the  whole  mischief,  in  the  middle  of  which  he  broke  oif, 
said  that  he  believed  himself  to  be  mad,  and  vowed  he 
would  blow  out  his  own  brains  first,  and  those  of  all  the 
pirates  afterwards.  Whereupon  he  choked,  sobbed  again, 
and  rushed  out  of  the  cabin  as  if  he  really  meant  to  exe- 
cute his  last  awful  threat. 

But  poor  Corrie  only  rushed  away  to  hide  from  Alice 
the  irrepressible  emotions  that  nearly  burst  his  heart.  Yes, 
Corrie  was  thoroughly  subdued  by  grief.  But  the  spring 
was  not  broken ;  it  was  only  crushed  flat  by  the  weight  of 
sorrow  that  lay  like  a  millstone  on  his  youthful  bosom. 

The  first  tiling:  that  set  his  active  brain  a<2foinor  once 


244  GASCOYNE, 

more  — >-  thereby  overturning  the  weight  of  sorrow  and 
causing  the  spring  of  his  peculiar  spirit  to  rehound  —  was 
the  sight  of  the  two  pirates  hauling  up  the  boat  and  carry- 
ing off  the  oars. 

"  Ila  1  that's  your  game,  is  it  ?  "  muttered  the  boy,  be- 
tween his  teeth,  and  grasping  the  pole  with  both  hands  as 
if  he  wished  to  squeeze  his  fingers  into  the  wood.  "  You 
don't  want  to  give  us  a  chance  of  escaping,  don't  you,  eh  ! 
is  that  it  ?  You  think  that  because  we're  a  small  party, 
and  the  half  of  us  females,  that  we're  cowed,  and  wont 
think  of  trying  any  other  way  of  escaping,  do  you  ?  Oh 
yes,  that's  what  you  think ;  you  know  it,  you  do,  hut  you're 
mistaken"  (he  became  terribly  sarcastic  and  bitter  at  this 
point)  ;  "  you'll  find  that  you've  got  men  to  deal  with,  that 
you've  not  only  caught  a  tartar,  but  two  tartars  —  one 
o'  them  being  ten  times  tartarer  than  the  other.  Oh, 
if—" 

"  What's  all  that  you're  saying,  Corrie  ?  "  said  Mon- 
tague, stepping  out  of  the  tent  at  that  moment. 

O  Captain ! "  said  the  boy,  vehemently,  "  I  wish  I  were 
a  giant ! " 

"Why  so,  lad?'' 

"  Because  then  I  would  wade  out  to  that  wreck,  clap  my 
shoulder  to  her  bow,  shove  her  into  deep  water,  carry  you, 
and  Alice,  and  Poopy  aboard,  haul  out  the  mainmast  by 
the  roots,  make  an  oar  of  it,  and  scull  out  to  sea,  havin' 
previously  fired  off  the  biggest  gun  aboard  of  her  to  let 
the  pirates  know  what  I  was  doing." 

Corrie's  spirit  was  in  a  tumultuous  and  very  rebellious 
state.  He  was  half  inclined  to  indulge  in  hysterical  weep- 
ing, and  more  tlian  half  disposed  to  give  way  to  a  burst  of 
si'.vage  glee.  He  spoke  with  the  mantling  blood  blazing 
in  his  fat  cheeks,  and  his  two  eyes  glittering  like  those  of 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  245 

a  basilisk.  Montague  could  not  repress  a  smile  and  a  look 
of  admiration  as  he  paid  to  our  little  hero : 

"Wliv,  Corrie,  if  you  were  a  giant  it  would  be  much 
easier  to  go  to  the  other  side  of  the  island,  wring  off  the 
heads  of  all  the  pirates,  and,  carrying  me  on  your  shoul- 
ders, and  Alice  and  Poopy  in  your  coat  pockets,  get  safely 
aboard  the  Foam,  and  ho !  for  Sandy  Cove." 

"  So  it  would,  said  Corrie,  gravely.  "  I  did  not  think 
of  that ;  and  it  would  be  a  far  pleasanter  way  than  the 
other." 

"  Ah,  Corrie,  I  fear  that  you  are  a  very  bloodthirsty 
fellow." 

*'  Of  course  I  am  when  I've  pirates  to  deal  with.  I 
would  kill  them  every  man,  without  a  thought." 

"  No  you  wouldn't,  my  boy.  You  couldn't  do  it  in  cold 
blood,  even  although  they  are  bad  men." 

"  I  don't  know  that,"  said  Corrie,  dubiously.  "  I  would 
do  it  without  more  feeling  than  I  would  have  in  killing  a 
cat." 

"  Did  you  ever  kill  a  cat  ?  "  asked  Montague. 

"  Never,"  answered  Corrie. 

"  Then  how  can  you  tell  what  your  feelings  would  be  if 
you  were  to  attempt  to  do  it.  I  remember  once,  when  I 
was  a  boy,  going  out  to  hunt  cats." 

"  O  Captain  Montague  !  surely  you  never  hunted  cats," 
exclaimed  Alice,  who  came  out  of  the  tent  with  a  very 
pale  face,  and  uncommonly  red  eyes. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  I  did  once  ;  but  I  never  did  it  again.  I 
caught  one,  a  kitten,  and  set  off  with  a  number  of  boys  to 
kill  it ;  but  as  we  went  along  it  began  to  play  with  my 
necktie,  and  to  purr.  Our  hearts  were  softened,  so  we  let 
it  go.  Ah,  Corrie,  my  boy,  never  go  hunting  cats ! "  said 
Montague,  earnestly. 


246  GASCOTNE, 

"  Did  I  say  I  was  going  to  ?  "  replied  Corrie,  indig- 
nantly. 

Montague  laughed,  and  so  did  Alice,  at  the  fierce  look 
the  boy  put  on. 

"  Come,"  said  the  former,  "  I'm  sure  that  you  would  not 
kill  a  pirate  in  cold  blood,  any  more  than  you  would  kill 
a  kitten  —  would  you  ?  " 

"  I'm  not  sure  o'  that,"  said  Corrie,  half  laughing,  but 
still  looking  fierce.  "  la  the  first  place,  my  blood  is  never 
cold  when  I've  to  do  with  pirates ;  and,  in  the  second 
place,  pirates  are  not  innocent  creatures  covered  with  soft 
hair,  and  —  they  don't  purr  I  " 

This  last  remark  set  Alice  into  a  fit  of  laughter,  and 
drew  a  faint  "■  hee !  hee ! "  from  Poopy,  who  had  been 
listening  to  the  conversation  behind  the  canvas  of  the  tent. 

Montague  took  advantage  of  this  improved  state  of 
things.  "  Now,  Alice,"  said  he,  cheerfully,  "  do  you  and 
Poopy  set  about  spreading  our  blanket  tablecloth,  and  get- 
ting supper  laid  out.  It  is  but  a  poor  one,  —  hard  biscuit 
and  water,  —  but  there  is  plenty  of  it,  and,  after  all,  that 
is  the  main  thing.  Meanwhile,  Corrie  and  I  will  saunter 
along  shore  and  talk  over  our  plans.  Cheer  up,  my  little 
girl ;  we  will  manage  to  give  these  pirates  the  slip  some- 
how or  other,  you  may  depend  upon  it." 

"  Corrie,"  said  Montague,  when  they  were  alone,  I 
have  spoken  cheeringly  to  Alice,  because  she  is  a  little 
girl  and  needs  comfort,  but  you  and  I  know  that  our  case 
is  a  desperate  one,  and  it  will  require  all  our  united  wis- 
dom and  cleverness  to  effect  our  escape  from  those  rascally 
pirates." 

The  commander  of  the  Talisman  paused,  and  smiled  in 
gpite  of  himself  at  the  idea  of  being  placed  in  circum- 
stances that  constrained  him  to  hold  a  consultation,  in  mat* 


THE  SANDAL-^YOOD  TRADER.  247 

ters  that  might  involve  life  and  death,  with  a  mere  boy ! 
But  there  was  no  help  for  it;  besides,  to  say  truth,  the 
extraordinary  energy  and  courrige  that  had  been  displayed 
by  the  lad,  combined  with  a  considerable  amount  of  innate 
sharpness  in  his  character,  tended  to  create  a  feeling  that 
the  consultation  might  not  be  altogether  without  advan- 
tage. At  all  events,  it  was  better  to  talk  over  tlieir  des- 
perate position  even  with  a  boy,  than  to  confine  his  anxie- 
ties to  his  own  breast. 

But  although  IMontague  had  seen  enough  of  his  young 
companion  to  convince  him  that  he  was  an  intelligent 
fellow,  he  was  not  prepared  for  the  fertility  of  resource, 
the  extremity  of  daring,  and  the  ingenuity  of  device  that 
were  exhibited  by  him  in  the  course  of  that  consultation. 

To  creep  over,  in  the  dead  of  night,  knife  in  hand,  and 
attack  the  pirates  while  asleep,  was  one  of  the  least  start- 
ling ot  his  daring  propositions ;  and  to  swim  out  to  the 
wreck,  set  her  on  fire,  and  get  quietly  on  board  the  Aveng- 
er, while  all  the  amazed  pirates  should  have  rushed  over 
to  see  what  could  have  caused  such  a  blaze,  cut  the  cable 
and  sail  away,  was  among  the  least  ingenious  of  his  de- 
vices. 

These  two  talked  long  and  earnestly  while  the  shades 
of  evening  were  descending  on  the  Isle  of  Palms  ;  and 
in  the  earnestness  of  their  talk,  and  the  pressing  urgency 
of  their  case,  the  man  almost  forgot  that  his  companion 
waj  a  boy,  and  the  boy  never  for  a  moment  doubted  that 
he  himself,  in  everything  but  years,  was  a  man. 

It  was  getting  dark  when  they  returned  to  the  tent, 
where  they  found  that  Alice  and  Poopy  had  arranged  their 
supper  with  the  most  scrupulous  care  and  nicety.  These, 
too,  with  the  happy  buoyancy  of  extreme  youth,  had  tem- 
porarily forgotten   their  position,  and,   when   their   male 


248  GASCOTNE. 

companions  entered,  were  deeply  engaged  in  a  private 
game  of  a  "  tea-party,"  in  which  hard  biscuit  figured  as 
bun,  and  water  was  made  to  do  duty  for  tea.  In  this  lat- 
ter part  of  the  game,  by  the  way,  the  children  did  bu( 
carry  out  in  jest  a  practice  which  is  not  altogether  un 
known  in  happier  circumstances  and  in  civilized  society. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

PLAFS  PARTIALLY  CARRIED  OUT— THE  CUTTEr'S  FATE— AND 
A  SERIOUS  MISFORTUNE. 

The  cutter  was  a  fast  sailer,  and,  although  the  pirate 
schooner  had  left  Sandy  Cove  nearly  two  days  before  her, 
the  Wasp,  having  had  a  fair  wind,  followed  close  on  her 
heels.  The  Avenger  cast  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  the  Isle 
of  Palms  on  the  morning  of  her  fifth  day  out ;  the  Wasp 
sighted  the  island  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day. 

It  was  not  Gascoyne's  purpose  to  run  down  at  once  and 
have  a  hand-to-hand  fight  with  his  own  men.  He  felt  that 
his  party  was  to  weak  for  such  an  attempt,  and  resolved 
to  accomplish  by  stratagem  what  he  could  not  hope  to 
compass  by  force.  He  therefore  hove-to  the  instant  the 
tops  of  the  palm-trees  appeared  on  the  horizon,  and  waited 
till  night  should  set  in  and  favor  his  designs. 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do  ?  "  inquired  Henry  Stuart, 
who  stood  on  the  deck  watching  the  sun  as  it  sank  into  the 
ocean  behind  a  mass  of  golden  clouds,  in  which,  however, 
there  were  some  symptoms  of  stormy  weather. 

"  I  mean  to  wait  till  it  is  dark,"  said  Gascoyne,  "  and 
then  run  down  and  take  possession  of  the  schooner." 

Henry  looked  at  the  pirate  captain  in  surprise,  and  not 
without  distrust.  Ole  Thorwald,  who  was  smoking  his  big 
German  pipe  with  great  energy,  looked  at  him  with  undis- 
guised uneasiness. 


250  GASCOTTsT; 

"  You  ppeak  as  if  you  had  no  doubt  whatever  of  suc- 
ceeding in  this  enterprise,  Mr.  Gascoyne,"  said  the  latter. 

"  I  have  no  doubt,"  replied  Gascoyne. 

"  I  do  believe  you're  right,"  returned  Thorwald,  smoking 
furiously  as  he  became  more  agitated.  "  I  make  no  ques- 
tion but  your  villains  will  receive  you  with  open  arms. 
"What  guarantee  have  we,  Mister  Gascoyne,  or  Mister 
Durward,  that  we  shall  not  be  seized  and  made  to  walk 
the  plank,  or  perform  some  similarly  fantastic  feat  —  in 
which,  mayhap,  our  feet  will  have  less  to  do  with  the 
performance  than  our  necks  —  when  you  get  into  power  ?  " 

"  You  have  no  guarantee  whatever,"  returned  Gascoyne^ 
"  except  the  word  of  a  pirate  ! " 

"You  say  truth,"  ci-ied  Ole,  springing  up  and  pacing 
the  deck  with  unwonted  energy,  while  a  troubled  and 
somewhat  fierce  expression  settled  on  his  usually  good- 
humored  countenance.  "  You  say  truth,  and  I  think  we 
have  been  ill-advised  when  we  took  this  step;  for  my 
part,  I  regard  myself  as  little  better  than  a  maniac  for 
putting  myself  obstinately,  not  to  say  deliberately,  into  the 
very  jaws  of  a  lion,  —  perhaps  I  should  say  a  tiger.  But, 
mark  my  words,  Gascoyne,  alias  Durward "  (here  he 
stopped  suddenly  before  the  pirate,  who  was  leaning  in  a 
careless  attitude  against  the  mast,  and  looked  him  full  in 
the  face),  "if  you  play  us  false,  as  I  have  no  hesitation  in 
saj'ing  I  believe  that  you  fully  intend  to  do,  your  life  will 
not  be  w^orth  a  pewter  shilling." 

"  I  am  yet  in  your  power,  Mr.  Thorwald,"  said  Gas- 
coyne ;  "  if  your  friends  agree  to  it,  I  cannot  prevent  your 
putting  about  and  returning  to  Sandy  Cove.  But  in  that 
case  the  missionary's  child  loill  be  lostf'^ 

"  I  do  not  believe  that  my  child's  safety  is  so  entirely 
dopendont  on  you,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  who  had  listened  iu 


THE  SAXDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  251 

silence  to  the  foregoing  dialogue ;  "  she  is  in  the  hands  of 
that  Grod  on  whom  you  have  turned  your  back,  and  with 
whom  all  things  are  possible.  But  I  feel  disposed  to  trust 
you,  Gascoyne ;  and  I  feel  thus  because  of  what  was  said 
of  you  by  Mrs.  Stuart,  in  whose  good  sense  I  place  implicit 
confidence.  I  would  advise  Mr.  Thorwald  to  wait  pa- 
tiently until  he  sees  more  cause  than  he  does  at  present 
for  distrust.'* 

Gascoyne  had  turned  round,  and,  during  the  greater  part 
of  this  speech,  had  gazed  intently  towards  the  horizon. 

"  We  shall  have  rough  weather  to-nigh-,"  said  he ;  "  but 
our  work  will  be  done  before  it  comes,  I  hope.  Up  with 
the  helm  now,  Henry,  and  slack  off  the  sheets ;  it  is  dark 
enough  to  allow  us  to  creep  in  without  being  observed. 
Manton  will  of  course  be  in  the  only  harbor  in  the  island ; 
we  must  therefore  go  round  to  the  other  side,  and  take  the 
risk  of  running  on  the  reefs." 

"  Risk !  "  exclaimed  Henry ;  "  I  thought  you  knew  all 
the  passages  about  the  island  1 " 

"  So  I  do,  lad  —  all  the  passages ;  but  I  don't  profess  to 
know  every  rock  and  reef  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  Our 
only  chance  is  to  make  the  island  on  the  south  side,  where 
there  are  no  passages  at  all  except  one  that  leads  into  a  bay; 
but  if  we  run  into  that,  our  masts  will  be  seen  against  the 
southern  sky,  even  from  the  harbor  where  the  schooner  lies. 
If  we  are  seen  they  will  be  prepared  for  us,  in  which  case 
we  shall  have  a  desperate  fight  with  little  chance  of  success 
and  the  certainty  of  much  bloodshed.  We  must  therefore 
run  straight  for  another  part  of  the  shore,  not  far  from  the 
bay  I  have  referred  to,  and  take  our  chance  of  striking. 
I  think  there  is  enough  of  water  to  float  this  little  cutter 
over  the  reefs,  but  I  am  not  sure." 

"  Think !  sure  ! "  echoed  Thorwald,  in  a  tone  of  exas- 


252  GASCOYNE, 

perated  surprise;  "and  if  we  do  strike,  Mr.  Gascoyne,  do 
you  mean  us  to  go  beg  for  mercy  at  the  hands  of  youi 
men,  or  to  swim  back  to  Sandy  Cove  ?  " 

"  If  we  strike,  I  shall  take  the  boat,  land  with  the  men, 
and  leave  the  cutter  to  her  fate.  The  Avenger  will  suffice 
to  take  us  back  to  Sandy  Cove." 

Ole  was  rendered  speechless  by  the  coolness  of  this 
remark ;  so  he  relieved  himself  by  tightening  his  belt,  and 
spouting  forth  volcanoes  of  smoke. 

Meanwhile,  the  cutter  had  run  to  within  a  short  distance 
of  the  island.  The  night  was  rendered  doubly  dark  by  the 
rapid  spreading  of  those  heavy  clouds  which  indicated  the 
approach  of  a  squall,  if  not  a  storm. 

"  This  is  well,"  said  Gascoyne,  in  a  low  tone,  to  Henry 
Stuart,  who  stood  near  him ;  "  the  worse  the  storm  is  to 
night  the  better  for  the  success  of  our  enterprise.  Henry. 
lad,  I'm  sorry  you  think  so  badly  of  me." 

Henry  was  taken  aback  by  this  unexpected  remark, 
which  was  made  in  a  low,  sad  tone. 

"  Can  I  think  too  badly  of  one  who  confesses  himself  to 
be  a, pirate?"  said  Henry. 

"  The  confession  is  at  least  in  my  favor.  I  had  no  oc- 
casion to  confess,  nor  to  give  myself  up  to  you." 

"  Give  yourself  up  !  It  remains  to  be  seen  whether 
you  mean  to  do  that  or  not." 

"  Do  you  not  believe  me,  Henry  ?  Do  you  not  believe  the 
account  that  I  gave  of  myself  to  you  and  your  mother  ?  " 

"  How  can  I  ?  "  said  the  young  man,  hesitatingly. 

"  Your  mother  believed  me." 

"  Well,  Gascoyne,  to  tell  you  the  plain  truth,  I  do  feel 
more  than  half  inclined  to  believe  you  ;  and  I'm  sorry  for 
you  ;  I  am,  from  my  soul.  You  might  have  lei  a  different 
life,  you  might  even  do  so  yet." 


THE  SANDAL-WOCD  TRADER.  253 

"You  forget,"  said  Gascoyne,  smiling  sadlj.  "I  havo 
given  mjself  up,  and  you  are  tound  to  prevent  my  es- 
caping." 

Henry  was  perplexed  by  this  reply.  In  the  enthusiasm 
of  his  awakened  pity  he  had  for  a  moment  forgotten  the 
pirate  in  the  penitent.  Before  he  could  reply,  however, 
the  cutter  struck  violently  on  a  rock,  and  an  exclamation 
of  alarm  and  surprise  burst  from  the  crew,  most  of  whom 
were  assembled  on  deck. 

"  Silence ! "  cried  Gascoyne,  in  a  deep,  sonorous  tone, 
that  was  wonderfully  different  from  that  in  which  he  had 
just  been  speaking  to  Henry ;  "  get  out  the  boat.  Arm 
yourselves,  and  jump  in.     There  is  no  time  to  lose." 

"  The  cutter  is  hard  and  fast,"  said  Henry ;  "  if  this 
squall  does  not  come  on,  or  if  it  turns  out  to  be  a  light  one, 
we  may  get  her  off." 

"  Perhaps  we  may,  but  I  have  little  hope  of  that,"  re- 
turned Gascoyne.  "  Now,  lads,  are  you  all  in  the  boat  ? 
Come,  Henry,  get  in  at  once." 

"  I  will  remain  here,"  said  Henry. 

"  For  what  end  ?  "  said  Gascoyne,  in  surprise. 

"The  cutter  belongs  to  a  friend;  I  do  not  choose  to 
forsake  her  in  this  off-hand  manner." 

"  But  nothing  can  save  her,  Henry." 

"Perhaps  not.  Nevertheless,  I  will  do  what  I  can. 
She  moves  a  little.  If  she  is  lifted  over  this  reef  while 
we  are  on  shore,  she  will  be  carried  out  to  sea  and  lost, 
and  that  must  not  be  allowed.  Leave  me  here  till  you 
land  the  men,  and  then  send  the  boat  back  with  two  of 
them.  "We  will  put  some  of  the  cutter's  ballast  into  it,  and 
try  to  tow  her  off.  It  wont  take  haff  an  hour,  and  that 
will  not  interfere  with  your  plans,  I  should  think,  for  the 
whole  niojht  lies  before  us." 


254  GASCOYNE, 

Seeing  that  he  was  determined,  Gasucyne  agreed,  and 
left  the  cutter,  promising  to  send  oQ  the  boat  directly. 
But  it  took  half  an  hour  to  row  from  the  Wasp  to  the 
shore,  and  before  the  half  of  that  time  had  elapsed,  the 
storm  which  had  been  impending  burst  over  the  island. 

It  was  much  more  violent  than  had  been  expected. 
The  cutter  was  lifted  over  the  reef  by  the  first  wave,  and 
struck  heavily  as  she  slid  into  deep  water.  Then  she 
rushed  out  to  sea  before  the  gale.  Henry  seized  the  helm 
and  kept  the  little  vessel  right  before  the  wind.  He  knew 
nothing  of  the  sea  around,  and  the  intense  darkness  of  the 
night  prevented  his  seeing  more  than  a  dozen  yards  be- 
yuad  the  bow. 

It  was  perhaps  as  well  tliat  he  was  kept  in  ignorance 
of  what  awaited  him  ;  for  he  was  thus  spared  at  least  the 
anticipation  of  what  appeared  certain  destruction.  He 
fancied  that  the  rock  over  which  he  had  been  carried  was 
the  outer  reef  of  the  island.  In  this  he  w^as  mistaken. 
The  whole  sea  around  and  beyond  him  v/as  beset  with 
reefs,  which  at  that  moment  were  covered  with  foam. 
Had  dayUght  revealed  the  scene,  he  would  have  been  ap- 
palled. As  it  was,  he  stood  stoutly  and  hopefully  to  the 
helm,  while  the  cutter  rushed  wildly  on  to  her  doom. 

Suddenly  she  struck  with  terrific  violence,  and  Henry 
was  hurled  to  the  deck.  Leaping  up,  he  sprang  again  to 
the  helm  and  attempted  to  put  about,  but  the  shock  had 
been  so  great  that  the  whole  framework  of  the  little  craft 
was  dislocated.  The  fastenings  of  the  rudder  had  been 
torn  out,  and  she  was  unmanageable.  The  next  wave. 
lifted  her  over  the  reef,  and  the  gale  swept  her  away. 

Even  then  the  hopes  of  tlie  young  man  did  not  quite 
fail  him.  He  believed  tliat  the  last  reef  Ijad  now  been 
passed,  and  that  he  would  be  driven  out  to  the  open  sea, 


THE  SAND.VL-WOOD  TRADER  255 

clear  at  least  of  immediate  danger.  It  was  a  vaiu  hope. 
In  another  moment  the  vessel  struck  for  the  third  time, 
and  the  mast  went  over  the  side.  Again  and  again  she 
rose  and  fell  with  all  her  weight  on  the  rocks.  The  last 
blow  burst  out  her  sides,  and  she  fell  to  pieces,  a  total 
wreck,  leaving  Henry  struggling  with  the  waves. 

He  seized  the  first  piece  of  wood  that  came  in  his  way, 
and  clung  to  it.  For  many  hours  he  was  driven  about 
and  tossed  by  the  winds  and  waves  until  he  began  to  feel 
utterly  exhausted ;  but  he  clung  to  the  spar  with  the  tenac- 
ity of  a  drowning  man.  In  those  seas  the  water  is  not  so 
cold  as  in  our  northern  climes,  so  that  men  can  remain  in 
it  for  a  great  length  of  time  without  much  injury.  There 
are  many  instances  of  the  South  Sea  islanders  having  been 
wrecked  in  their  canoes,  and  having  spent  not  only  hours 
but  days  in  the  water,  clinging  to  broken  pieces  of  wood, 
and  swimming  for  many  miles,  pushing  these  before  them. 

When,  therefore,  the  morning  broke,  and  the  bright  sun 
shone  out,  and  the  gale  had  subsided,  Henry  found  him- 
self still  clinging  to  the  spar,  and,  although  much  weak- 
ened, still  able  to  make  some  exertion  to  save  himself. 

On  looking  round  he  found  that  numerous  pieces  of  the 
wreck  floated  near  him,  and  that  the  portion  to  which  he 
clung  was  the  broken  lower  mast.  A  large  mass  of  the 
deck,  with  part  of  the  gunwale  attached  to  it,  lay  close 
beside  him,  held  to  the  mast  by  one  of  the  shrouds.  He 
at  once  swam  to  this,  and  found  it  sufficiently  large  to  sus- 
tain his  weight,  though  not  large  enough  to  enable  him  to 
get  quite  out  of  the  water.  While  here,  half  in  and  half 
out  of  the  water,  his  first  act  was  to  fall  on  his  knees  and 
thank  God  for  sparing  his  life,  and  to  pray  for  help  in  that 
hour  of  need. 

Feehug  that  it  would  be   impossible   to   exist  much 


256  GASCOYNE, 

longer  unless  he  could  get  quite  out  of  the  water  so  as  to 
allow  the  sun  to  warm  his  chilled  frame,  he  used  whai 
strength  remained  in  him  to  drag  towards  him  several 
spars  that  lay  within  his  reach.  These  he  found  to  be 
some  of  the  rough  timbers  that  had  lain  on  the  deck  of 
the  cutter  to  serve  as  spare  masts  and  yards.  They  were, 
therefore,  destitute  of  cordage,  so  that  it  was  not  possible 
to  fonn  a  secure  raft.  Nevertheless,  by  piling  them  to- 
gether on  the  top  of  the  broken  portion  of  the  deck,  he 
succeeded  in  constructing  a  platform  which  raised  him 
completely  out  of  the  water. 

The  heat  of  the  sun  speedily  dried  his  garments,  and  ag 
the  day  wore  on  the  sea  went  down  sufficiently  to  render 
the  keeping  of  his  raft  together ;  a  matter  of  less  difficulty 
than  it  was  at  first.  In  trying  to  make  some  better  arrang- 
ment  of  the  spars  on  which  he  rested,  he  discovered  the 
corner  of  a  sail  sticking  between  two  of  them.  This  he 
hauled  out  of  the  water,  and  found  it  to  be  a  portion  of 
the  gaff.  It  was  a  fortunate  discovery;  because,  in  the 
event  of  long  exposure,  it  would  prove  to  be  a  most  useful 
covering.  Wringing  it  out,  he  spread  it  over  the  logs  to 
dry. 

The  doing  of  all  this  occupied  the  shipwrecked  youth  so 
long  that  it  was  nearly  mid-day  before  he  could  sit  down 
on  his  raft  and  think  calmly  over  his  position.  Hunger 
now  began  to  remind  him  that  he  was  destitute  of  food ; 
but  Henry  had  been  accustomed,  while  roaming  among 
the  mountains  of  his  island  home,  to  go  fasting  for  long 
periods  of  time.  The  want  of  breakfast,  therefore,  did 
not  inconvenience  him  much  ;  but  before  he  had  remained 
inactive  more  than  ten  minutes,  the  want  of  sleep  began 
to  tell  upon  him.  Gradually  he  felt  completely  over- 
powered by  it.     He  laid  his  head  on  one  of  the  spars  at 


THE  SANDAI^WOOD  TPwVDER.  257 

last,  and  resigned  himself  to  an  influence  lie  could  no 
longer  resist. 

It  was  evening  before  he  awoke  from  that  slumber.  The 
sun  had  just  disappeared  below  the  horizon,  and  the  red 
clouds  that  remained  behind  were  beginning  to  deepen,  as 
night  prepared  to  throw  her  dark  mantle  over  the  sea.  A 
gull  wheeled  over  the  youth's  head  and  uttered  a  wild  cry 
as  he  awoke,  causing  him  to  start  up  wilh  a  feeling  of 
bewildered  uncertainty  as  to  where  he  was. 

The  true  nature  of  his  position  was  quickly  forced  upon 
him.  A  dead  calm  now  prevailed.  Henry  gazed  eagerly, 
wistfully  round  the  horizon.  It  was  an  unbroken  line ;  not 
a  speck  that  resembled  a  sail  was  to  be  seen.  Remem- 
bering for  the  first  time  that  his  low  raft  would  be  quite 
invisible  at  a  very  short  distance,  he  set  about  erecting  a 
flag.  This  was  easily  done.  Part  of  his  red  shirt  was 
torn  off  and  fastened  to  a  light  spar,  the  end  of  which  he 
stuck  between  the  logs.  Having  set  up  his  signal  of  dis- 
tress he  sat  down  beside  it,  and,  drawing  part  of  the  sail 
over  his  shoulders,  leaned  on  the  broken  part  of  the  bul- 
wark, and  pondered  his  forlorn  condition. 

It  was  a  long,  sad  reverie  into  which  poor  Henry  Stu- 
art fell  that  evening.  Hope  did  not,  indeed,  forsake  his 
breast ;  for  hope  is  strong  in  youth  ;  but  he  was  too  well 
acquainted  with  the  details  of  a  sailor's  life  and  risks  to  be 
able  to  shut  his  eyes  to  the  real  dangers  of  his  position. 
He  knew  fuU  w^ell  that  if  he  should  be  cast  on  any  of  the 
inhabited  islands  of  the  South  Seas  (unless  it  might  be 
one  of  the  very  few  that  had  at  that  time  accepted  the  gos- 
pel) he  would  certainly  be  killed  by  the  savages,  whose 
practice  it  is  to  slay  and  eat  all  unfortunates  who  chance 
to  be  wrecked  and  cast  upon  their  shores.  But  no  islands 
were  in  sight;  and  it  was  possible  that  he  miglit  be  left  to 
17 


258  GASCOYXE. 

float  on  the  boundless  ocean  until  the  slow  and  terrible 
process  of  starvation  did  its  work,  and  wore  away  the  life 
which  he  felt  to  be  so  fresh  and  strong  within  him. 

When  he  thought  of  this  he  shuddered,  and  reverted, 
almost  with  a  feeling  of  pleasure,  to  the  idea  that  another 
storm  might  spring  up  ere  long,  and,  by  dashing  his  frail 
raft  to  pieces,  bring  his  life  to  a  speedy  termination.  His 
hopes  were  not  very  clear  even  to  his  own  mind.  He  did 
indeed  hope,  because  he  could  not  help  it ;  but  what  it  was 
that  he  hoped  for  would  have  puzzled  him  to  state.  A 
passing  ship  finding  him  in  a  part  of  the  Pacific  where 
ships  were  not  wont  to  pass,  was  perhaps  among  the  least 
animating  of  all  his  hopes. 

But  the  thoughts  that  coursed  through  the  youth's  brain 
that  night  were  not  centered  alone  upon  the  means  or  the 
prospects  of  deliverance.  He  thought  of  his  mother, — 
her  gentleness,  her  goodness,  her  unaccountable  partiality 
for  Gascoyne  ;  but,  more  than  all,  he  thought  of  her  love 
for  himself.  He  thought,  too,  of  his  former  life,  —  his  joys, 
his  sorrows,  and  his  sins.  As  he  remembered  these  last, 
his  soul  was  startled,  and  he  thought  of  his  God  and  his 
Saviour  as  he  had  never  thought  before.  Despite  his 
efforts  to  restrain  them,  tears,  but  not  unmanly  tears, 
would  flow  down  his  cheeks  as  he  sat  that  evening  on  his 
raft ;  meditated  on  the  past,  the  present,  and  the  future, 
and  realized  the  terrible  solemnity  of  his  position,  —  with- 
out water  or  food  —  almost  without  hope  —  alone  on  the 
deep. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

aw  cnexpacted  meeting  —  doings  on  the  «sle  of  palms. 
gascoyne's  despair. 

It  was  not  without  some  difficulty  that  the  boat  reached 
the  shore  after  the  squall  burst  upon  them.  On  landing, 
the  party  observed,  dark  though  it  was,  that  their  leader's 
countenance  wore  an  expression  of  the  deepest  anxiety ; 
yet  there  were  lines  upon  it  that  indicated  the  raging  of 
conflicting  passions  which  he  found  it  difficult  to  restrain. 

"  I  fear  me,"  said  Ole  Thorwald,  in  a  troubled  voice, 
"  that  our  young  friend  Henry  Stuart  is  in  danger." 

"  Lost !  "  said  Gascoyne,  in  a  voice  so  low  and  grating 
that  it  startled  his  hearers. 

"  Say  not  so,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  earnestly.  "  He  is  a 
brave  and  a  clever  youth,  and  knows  how  to  manage  the 
cutter  until  we  can  row  back  and  fetch  him  ashore." 

"  Row  back ! "  exclaimed  Gascoyne,  almost  fiercely. 
"  Think  you  that  I  would  stand  here  idly  if  our  boat  could 
live  in  such  a  sea  as  now  rolls  on  the  rocks  ?  The  Wasp 
must  have  been  washed  over  the  reef  by  this  time.  She 
may  pass  the  next  without  being  dashed  to  pieces,  but  she 
is  too  rickety  to  stand  the  third.     No,  there  is  no  hope  !  " 

While  he  spoke  the  missionary's  eyes  were  closed,  and 
his  lips  moved  as  if  in  silent  prayer.  Seizing  Gascoyne 
nervously  by  the  arm,  he  said :  "  You  cannot  tell  that 
there  is  no  hope.     That  is  known  only  lo  One  who  has 


260  GASCOYNE, 

encouraged  us  to  *  hope  against  hope.'  Henry  is  a  stout 
youth  and  a  good  swimmer.  He  may  succeed  in  clinging 
to  some  portion  of  the  wreck." 

"  True,  true,"  cried  Gascoyne,  eagerly  grasping  at  this 
hope,  slight  though  it  was.  "  Come ;  we  waste  time. 
There  is  but  one  chance.  The  schooner  must  be  secured 
without  delay.  Lads,  you  will  follow  Mr.  Thorwald.  Do 
whatever  he  bids  you.  And  now,"  he  added,  leading  the 
merchant  aside,  "  the  time  for  action  has  come.  I  will 
conduct  you  to  a  certain  point  on  the  island,  where  you 
will  remain  concealed  among  the  bushes  until  I  return  to 
you." 

"And  suppose  you  never  return  to  us.  Mister  Gas- 
coyne ! "  said  Ole,  who  regarded  every  act  of  the  pirate 
captain  with  suspicion. 

"  Then  you  will  remain  there  till  you  are  tired,"  an- 
swered Gascoyne,  with  some  asperity,  "  and  after  that  do 
what  you  please." 

"  Well,  well,  I  am  in  your  power,"  retorted  the  obdu- 
rate Norseman ;  "  make  what  arrangements  you  please. 
I  will  carry  them  out  until  —  " 

Here  Ole  thought  fit  to  break  off,  and  Gascoyne,  with- 
out taking  notice  of  the  remark,  went  on  in  a  few  hurried 
sentences  to  explain  as  much  of  his  plan  as  he  thought 
necessary  for  the  guidance  of  his  suspicious  ally. 

This  done,  he  led  the  whole  party  to  the  highest  part 
of  the  island,  and  made  them  lie  in  ambush  there  while  he 
went  forward  alone  to  reconnoitre.  The  night  was  ad- 
mirably suited  to  their  purpose.  It  was  so  dark  that  it 
was  difficult  to  perceive  objects  more  than  a  few  yards  off, 
and  the  wind  howled  so  furiously  among  the  palms  that 
thei'C  was  no  danger  of  being  overheard  in  the  even*  of 
iheir  spfak>ng  too  loud  or  stumbling  over  fallen  tree* 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.         261 

Gascoyne,  who  knew  every  rock  and  tree  on  the  Isle 
of  Palms,  went  rapidly  down  the  gentle  slope  that  inter- 
vened between  him  and  the  harbor  in  which  the  Foam 
lay  at  anchor.  Dark  though  it  was,  he  could  see  the 
taper  masts  and  yards  of  his  vessel  traced  dimly  against 
the  sky. 

The  pirate's  movements  now  became  more  cautious. 
He  stepped  slowly,  and  paused  frequently  to  listen.  At 
last  he  went  down  on  his  hands  and  knees  and  crept  for- 
ward for  a  considerable  distance  in  that  position,  until  he 
reached  a  ledge  of  rocks  that  overhung  the  shore  of  the 
bay.  Here  he  observed  an  object  like  a  round  lump  of 
rock,  lying  a  few  yards  before  him,  on  a  spot  where  he 
was  well  aware  no  such  rock  had  previously  existed.  It 
moved  after  a  moment  or  two.  Gascoyne  knew  that  there 
were  no  wild  animals  of  any  kind  on  the  island,  and,  there- 
fore, at  once  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  this  must  needs 
be  a  human  being  of  some  sort.  Drawing  his  knife  he 
put  it  between  his  teeth,  and  creeping  noiselessly  towards 
the  object  in  question,  laid  his  strong  hand  on  the  neck  of 
the  horrified  Will  Corrie. 

That  adventurous  and  desperate  little  hero  having  lain 
sleepless  and  miserable  at  the  feet  of  Alice  until  the  squall 
blew  the  tent  over  their  heads,  got  up  and  assisted  Mon- 
tague to  erect  it  anew  in  a  more  sheltered  position,  after 
which,  saying  that  he  meant  to  take  a  midnight  ramble  on 
the  shore  to  cool  his  fevered  brow,  he  made  straight  for 
the  sea,  stepped  knee-deep  into  the  raging  surf,  and  bared 
his  breast  to  the  furious  blast. 

This  cooled  him  so  effectually  that  he  took  to  running 
along  shore  in  order  to  warm  himself.  Then  it  occurred 
to  him  that  the  night  was  particularly  favorable  for  a  sly 
peep  at  the  pirates.     Without  a  moment's  hesitation,  he 


262  GASCOYNE, 

walked  and  stumbled  towards  the  high  part  of  the  island, 
at  which  he  an-ived  just  half  an  hour  before  Gascoyne 
reached  it.  He  had  seen  nothing,  however,  and  was  on 
the  point  of  advancing  still  further  in  his  explorations,  when 
he  was  discovered  as  we  have  seen. 

Gascoyne  instantly  turned  the  boy  over  on  his  back,  and 
nipped  a  tremendous  yell  in  the  bud  by  grasping  his  wind- 
pipe. 

"  Why,  Corrie  ! "  exclaimed  Gascoyne,  in  surprise,  at 
the  same  time  loosening  his  grip,  though  still  holding  the 
boy  down. 

"  Ah !  you  villain,  you   rascally  pirate.     /  know  you ; 

The  pipe  was  gently  squeezed  at  this  point,  and  the 
sentence  abruptly  cut  short. 

"  Come,  boy,  you  must  not  speak  so  loud.  Enemies  are 
near.  If  you  don't  behave  I'll  have  to  throttle  you.  I 
liave  come  from  Sandy  Cove  with  a  party  to  save  you 
and  your  friends." 

Corrie  did  not  believe  a  word  of  this.  He  knew,  or  at 
least  he  supposed,  that  Gascoyne  had  left  the  schooner, 
not  having  seen  him  since  they  sailed  from  Sandy  Cove  ; 
but  he  knew  nothing  of  the  manner  in  which  he  had  been 
put  ashore. 

"  It  wont  do,  Gascoyne,"  gasped  poor  Corrie,  on  being 
•permitted  again  to  use  his  windpipe.  "  You  may  kill  me, 
but  you'll  never  cow  me.  I  don't  believe  you,  you  cow' 
ardly  monster." 

"  ril  have  to  convince  you  then,"  said  Gascoyne,  suddenly 
catching  the  boy  in  his  arms,  and  bearing  him  swiftly 
away  from  the  spot. 

Corrie  struggled  like  a  hero,  as  he  was.  He  tried  to 
ehout,  but  Gascoyne's  right  hand  again  iqueezed  the  wind- 


IHE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  2G3 

pipe  ;  he  attempted  to  bite,  but  the  same  hand  easily  kept 
the  refractory  head  in  order ;  he  endeavored  to  kick  and 
hit,  but  Gascoyne's  left  hand  encircled  him  in  such  a  com- 
prehensive embrace,  and  pressed  him  so  powerfully  to  his 
piratical  bosom,  that  he  could  only  wriggle.  This  he  did 
without  ceasing,  until  Gascoyne  suddenly  planted  him  on 
his  feet,  panting  and  dishevelled,  before  the  astonished 
faces  of  Frederick  Mason  and  Ole  Thorwakl. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  describe  in  detail  the  surprise  of 
all  then  and  there  assembled,  the  hurried  conversation,  and 
the  cry  of  joy  with  which  the  missionary  received  the  in- 
formation that  Alice  was  safe  and  within  five  minutes' 
walk  of  the  spot  on  which  he  stood.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
Corrie  was  now  convinced  of  the  good  faith  of  Gascoyne, 
whom  he  at  once  led,  along  with  Mr.  Mason,  to  the  tent 
where  Alice  and  her  friends  slept,  leaving  Thorwald  and 
his  men  where  they  were  to  await  further  orders. 

The  cry  of  wild  delight  with  which  Alice  sprang  into 
her  father's  arms  might  have  been  destructive  of  all  Gas- 
coyne's plans  had  not  the  wind  carried  it  away  from  the 
side  of  the  island  where  the  pirate  schooner  lay.  There 
was  now  no  time  to  be  lost.  After  the  first  embrace,  and 
a  few  hurried  words  of  blessing  and  thanksgiving,  the  mis- 
sionary was  summoned  to  a  consultation. 

"  I  will  join  you  in  this  enterprise,  Mr.  Gascoyne,"  said 
Montague.  "  I  believe  what  you  say  to  be  true  ;  besides, 
the  urgency  of  our  present  danger  leaves  me  no  room  for 
choice.  I  am  in  your  power.  I  believe  that  in  your 
present  penitent  condition  you  are  willing  to  enable  us  to 
escape  from  your  former  associates  ;  but  I  tell  you  frankly 
that,  if  ever  I  have  an  opportunity  to  do  so,  I  will  con- 
sider it  my  duty  to  deliver  you  over  to  justice." 

"Time  is  too  precious  to  trifle  thus,"  said   Gascoyne, 


264  GASCOYNE, 

hurriedly.  "  I  have  already  said  that  I  will  deliv  ar  my 
self  up  —  not,  however,  to  you^  but  to  Mr.  Mason  —  after 
I  have  rescued  the  party,  so  that  I  am  not  likely  to  claim 
any  consideration  from  you  on  account  of  the  obligation 
which  you  seem  to  think  my  present  act  will  lay  you 
under.     But  you  must  not  accompany  me  just  now." 

''Why  not?" 

"  Because  your  presence  may  be  required  here.  Tou 
and  Mr.  Mason  will  remain  where  you  are  to  guard  the 
girls,  until  I  return.  All  that  I  have  to  ask  is,  that  you 
be  in  readiness  to  follow  me  at  a  moment's  notice  when 
the  time  comes." 

"  Of  course  what  you  arrange  must  be  agreed  to,"  said 
Montague. 

"  Come,  Corrie,  I  will  require  your  assistance.  Follow 
me,"  said  the  pirate  captain,  as  he  turned  and  strode  rap- 
idly away. 

Corrie  was  now  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  good  in- 
tentions of  Gascoyne  ;  so  he  followed  him  without  hesita- 
tion. Indeed,  now  that  he  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
a  little  more  of  his  gigantic  companion,  he  began  to  feel 
a  strange  kind  of  pity  and  liking  for  him,  but  he  shud- 
dered and  felt  repelled  when  he  thought  of  the  human 
blood  in  which  his  hands  must  have  been  imbrued  ;  for  as 
yet  he  had  not  heard  of  the  defence  of  himself  which  Gas- 
coyne had  made  in  the  widow's  cottage.  But  he  had  not 
much  time  to  think ;  for  in  a  few  minutes  they  came  upon 
Ole  Thorwald  and  his  party. 

"  Follow  me  quietly,"  said  Gascoyne.  "  Keep  in  single 
file  and  close  together ;  for  if  we  are  separated  here,  we 
shall  not  easily  get  together  again." 

Leading  them  over  the  same  ground  that  he  had  for- 
merly traversed,   Gascoyne   conducted   his   party  to  the 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  265 

shores  of  the  bay  where  the  Foam  lay  at  anchor.  Here 
he  made  them  keep  close  in  the  bushes,  with  directions  to 
be  ready  to  act  the  instant  he  should  call  on  them  to  do  so. 

"  But  it  would  comfort  me  mightily,  Mister  Gascoyne," 
said  Thorwald,  in  a  somewhat  troubled  voice,  "  if  you 
would  give  some  instructions  or  advice  as  to  what  I  am  to 
do  in  the  event  of  your  plans  miscarrying.  I  care  naught 
for  a  fair  fight  in  open  field  ;  but  I  do  confess  to  a  dislike 
of  being  brought  to  the  condition  of  not  knowing  wliat  to 
dor 

"It  wont  matter  much  what  you  do,  Mr.  Thorwald," 
said  Gascoyne,  gravely.  "  If  my  plans  miscarry,  you  will 
be  killed  every  soul  of  you.  You'U  not  have  the  ghost  of 
a  chance  of  escaping." 

Ole  opened  his  eyes  uncommonly  wide  at  this. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  at  length,  with  a  sigh  of  resignation, 
"  it's  some  comfort  to  know  that  one  can  only  be  killed 
once." 

Gascoyne  now  proceeded  leisurely  to  strip  off  his  shirt, 
thereby  displaying  a  chest,  back,  and  arms  in  which  the 
muscles  were  developed  to  an  extent  that  might  have  made 
Hercules  himself  envious.  Kicking  off  his  boots,  he  re- 
duced his  clothing  to  a  pair  of  loose  knee-breeches. 

"  'Tis  a  strange  time  to  indulge  in  a  cold  bath ! "  mur- 
mured Thorwald,  whose  state  of  surprise  was  beginning 
to  render  him  desperately  ironical. 

Gascoyne  took  no  notice  of  the  remark,  but  calling 
Con-ie  to  his  side,  said : 

"  Can  you  swim,  boy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  like  a  duck." 

"  Can  you  distinguish  the  stern  of  the  schooner  ?  " 

"lean." 

*' Listen,  then.     When   you  see   a  white  sheet  -waved 


266  GASCOTNS, 

over  the  taffrail,  throw  off  your  jacket  and  shirt  and  iwim 
out  to  the  schooner.     D'ye  understand  ?  " 

"  Perfectly,"  replied  the  boy,  whose  decision  of  manner 
and  action  grew  with  the  occasion. 

"And  now,  Mr.  Thorwald,"  said  Grascoyne,  "I  shall 
swim  off  to  the  schooner.  If,  as  I  expect,  the  men  are  on 
shore  in  a  place  that  I  wot  of,  and  with  which  you  have 
nothing  to  do,  well  and  good.  I  will  send  a  boat  for  you 
with  muffled  oars ;  but,  mark  you,  let  there  be  no  noise 
in  embarking  or  in  getting  aboard  the  schooner.  If,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  men  are  aboard,  I  will  bring  a  boat  to 
you  myself,  in  which  case  silence  will  not  be  so  necessary, 
and  your  fighting  powers  shall  be  put  to  the  proof." 

Without  waiting  for  a  reply,  the  pirate  captain  walked 
down  the  sloping  beach  and  waded  slowly  into  the  dark 
sea.  His  motions  were  so  noiseless  and  stealthy  that  those 
who  watched  him  with  eager  eyes  could  only  discern  a 
figure  moving  gradually  away  from  them  and  melting  into 
the  thick  gloom. 

Fierce  though  the  storm  was  outside,  the  sheltered  wa- 
ters of  the  bay  were  almost  calm,  so  that  Gascoyne  had 
no  difficulty  in  swimming  off  to  the  Foam  without  making 
any  noise.  As  he  drew  near,  a  footstep  on  the  deck  ap- 
prised him  that  there  was  at  least  a  watch  left.  A  few 
seconds  later  a  man  leaned  over  the  low  bulwarks  of  the 
vessel  on  the  side  on  which  the  swimmer  approached. 

"  Hist !  what  sort  o'  brute's  that !  "  he  exclaimed,  seiz- 
ing a  handspike  that  chanced  to  be  near  him  and  hurling 
it  at  the  head  of  the  brute. 

The  handspike  fell  within  a  yard  of  Gascoyne,  who, 
keeping  up  his  supposed  character,  made  a  wild  splash 
with  his  arms  and  dived  like  a  genuine  monster  of  the 
deep.     Swimming  under  water  as  vigorously  as  he  could, 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  267 

he  endeavored  to  gain  the  other  side  of  the  vessel  before 
he  came  up;  but,  finding  that  this  was  impossible,  he 
turned  on  his  back  and  allowed  himself  to  rise  gently  until 
nothing  but  his  face  appeared  above  the  surface.  By  this 
means  he  was  enabled  to  draw  a  full  breath,  and  then, 
causing  himself  to  sink,  he  swam  under  water  to  the 
other  side  of  the  schooner,  and  rose  under  her  quarter. 

Here  he  paused  a  minute  to  breathe,  then  glided  with 
noiseless  strokes  to  the  main  chains,  which  he  seized  hold 
of,  and,  under  their  shelter,  listened  intently  for  at  least 
five  minutes. 

Not  a  sound  was  to  be  heard  on  board  save  the  footsteps 
of  the  solitary  watchman  who  slowly  paced  the  deck,  and 
now  and  then  beguiled  the  tedium  of  his  vigil  by  humming 
a  snatch  of  a  sea  song. 

Gascoyne  now  felt  assured  that  the  crew  were  ashore, 
enjoying  themselves,  as  they  were  wont  to  do,  in  one  of 
the  artificial  caverns  where  their  goods  were  concealed. 
He  knew,  from  his  own  former  experience,  that  they  felt 
quite  secure  when  once  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  the  Isle 
of  Palms  ;  it  was  therefore  probable  that  all  of  them  had 
gone  ashore  except  this  man,  who  had  been  left  to  take 
care  of  the  vessel. 

Gascoyne  now  drew  himself  slowly  up  into  the  chains, 
and  remained  there  for  a  few  seconds  in  a  stooping  posi- 
tion, keeping  his  head  below  the  level  of  the  bulwarks 
while  he  squeezed  the  water  out  of  his  lower  garments. 
This  done,  he  waited  until  the  man  on  deck  came  close  to 
where  he  stood,  when  he  sprang  on  him  with  the  agility 
of  a  tiger,  threw  him  down,  and  placed  his  hand  on  his 
mouth. 

"  It  will  be  your  wisest  course  to  be  still,  my  man ;"  said 
Gascoyne,  sternly      "  You  know  whc  I  am,  and  you  know 


2G8  GASCOYNE, 

what  I  can  do  when  occasion  requires.  If  you  sliout 
when  I  remove  my  hand  from  your  mouth,  you  die." 

The  man  seemed  to  be  quite  aware  of  the  hopelessness 
of  his  case ;  for  he  quietly  submitted  to  have  his  mouth 
bound  with  a  handkercliief,  and  his  hands  and  feet  tied 
with  cords.  A  few  seconds  sufficed  to  accomplish  this, 
after  which  Gascoyne  took  him  up  in  his  arms  as  if  he 
had  been  a  child,  carried  him  below,  and  laid  him  on  one 
of  the  cabin  lockers.  Then,  dragging  a  sheet  off  one  of 
the  beds,  he  sprang  up  on  deck  and  waved  it  over  the  stern. 

**  That's  the  signal  for  me,"  said  Corrie,  who  had 
watched  for  it  eagerly.  "  Now,  Uncle  Ole,  mind  you  obey 
orders  :  you  are  rather  inclined  to  be  mutinous,  and  that 
wont  pay  to-night.  If  you  don't  look  out,  Gascoyne  will 
pitch  into  you,  old  boy." 

Master  Corrie  indulged  in  these  impertinent  remarks 
while  he  was  stripping  off  his  jacket  and  shirt.  The  ex- 
asperated Thorwald  attempted  to  seize  him  by  the  neck 
and  shake  him,  but  Corrie  flung  his  jacket  in  his  face,  and 
sprang  down  the  beach  like  a  squirrel.  He  had  wisdom 
enough,  however,  to  say  and  do  all  this  in  the  quietest  pos- 
sible manner ;  and  when  he  entered  the  sea  he  did  so  with 
as  much  caution  as  Gascoyne  himself  had  done,  insomuch 
that  he  seemed  to  melt  away  like  a  mischievous  sprite. 

In  a  few  minutes  he  was  alongside  of  the  Foam ;  caught 
a  rope  that  was  thrown  to  him,  and  quickly  stood  on  the 
deck. 

"  Well  done,  Corrie.  Clamber  over  the  stern,  and  slide 
down  by  that  rope  into  the  little  boat  that  floats  there. 
Take  one  of  the  oars,  which  you  will  find  muffled,  and  scull 
to  the  shore,  and  bring  off  Thorwald  and  his  men.  And, 
hark'ee,  boy,  bring  off  my  shirt  and  boots.  Now,  look  alive ; 
your  friend  Ilcnry  Sluart's  life  may  depend  on  it." 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  269 

"Henry's  life  I"  exclaimed  Corrie,  m  amazement. 

"Come,  no  questions.  His  life  may  depend  on  your 
promptitude." 

Corrie  wanted  no  stronger  motive  for  speed.  In  a  state 
of  surprise  mingled  with  anxious  forebodings,  he  leaped 
over  the  stern  and  was  gone  in  a  moment. 

The  distance  between  the  shore  and  the  schooner  being 
very  short,  the  boat  was  quickly  alongside,  and  the  party 
under  stout  Ole  Thorwald  took  possession  of  their  prize. 

Meanwhile  Gascoyne  had  set  the  jib  and  fore-topsail, 
which  latter  had  been  left  hanging  loose  from  the  yard,  so 
that  by  hauling  out  the  sheets  slowly  and  with  great  care, 
the  thing  was  done  without  noise.  The  cable  was  then 
cut,  the  boat  manned,  and  the  Foam  glided  out  of  the  bay 
like  a  phantom  ship. 

The  moment  she  got  beyond  the  shelter  of  the  palms 
her  sails  filled,  and  in  a  few  minutes  she  was  rushins 
through  the  water  at  the  rate  of  ten  or  eleven  knots  an 
hour. 

Gascoyne  stood  at  the  helm  and  guided  her  through  the 
intricacies  of  the  dangerous  coast  with  consummate  skill, 
until  ke  reached  the  bay  where  the  wrecked  ship  lay. 
Here  he  lay  to,  and  sent  the  boat  ashore  for  the  party  that 
had  been  left  at  the  tent.  They  were  waiting  anxiously 
for  his  return.  Great,  therefore,  was  their  astonishment 
when  he  sent  them  a  message  inviting  them  to  go  on  board 
the  Foam  I 

The  instant  they  embarked,  Gascoyne  put  about,  and, 
ordering  the  mainsail  to  be  hoisted,  and  one  of  the  reefs 
to  be  shaken  out  of  the  topsail,  ran  round  to  the  windward 
of  the  island,  with  the  foam  flying  in  great  masses  on  either 
side  of  the  schooner,  which  lay  over  so  much  before  the 
gale  that  it  was  scarcely  possible  t<?  stand  on  the  deck. 


270  GASCOYNE, 

The  mannei  in  which  the  pirate  captain  now  acted  was 
calculated  to  fill  the  hearts  of  those  whose  lives  seemed  to 
hang  in  his  hands  with  alarm  if  not  dismay.  His  spirit 
seemed  to  be  stirred  within  him.  There  was  indeed  no 
anger,  either  in  his  looks  or  tones ;  but  there  was  a  stern 
fixedness  of  purpose  in  his  manner  and  aspect  which 
aroused,  yet  repelled,  the  curiosity  of  those  around  liim. 
Even  Ole  Thorwald  and  Montague  agreed  that  it  was  best 
to  let  him  alone ;  for  although  they  might  overcome  his 
great  physical  force  by  the  united  strength  of  numbers,  the 
result  would  certainly  be  disastrous,  as  he  was  the  only 
one  wlio  knew  the  locality. 

On  reaching  the  windward  side  of  the  island  he  threw 
the  schooner  up  into  the  wind,  and  ordered  the  large  boat 
to  be  hoisted  out  and  put  in  the  water.  Gascoyne  issued 
his  commands  in  a  quick,  loud  voice,  and  Ole  shook  his 
head  as  if  he  felt  that  this  overbearing  manner  proved  what 
he  had  expected ;  namely,  that  when  the  pirate  got  aboard 
his  own  vessel,  he  would  come  out  in  his  true  colors. 

Whatever  men  felt  or  thought,  there  was  no  hesitation 
in  rendering  prompt  ol)edience  to  that  voice.  The  large 
boat  was  hoisted  oflf  the  brass  pivot  gun  amidships  and  low- 
ered into  the  water.  Then  Gascoyne  gave  the  helm  to 
one  of  the  men,  with  directions  to  hold  it  exactly  as  it  then 
lay,  and,  hurrying  down  below,  speedily  returned,  to  the 
astonishment  of  every  one,  with  a  man  in  his  arms. 

"  Now,  Conn  way,"  said  Gascoyne,  as  he  cut  the  cords 
that  bound  the  man  and  removed  the  handkerchief  from 
his  mouth,  "  I'm  a  man  of  few  words,  and  to-night  have 
less  time  than  usual  to  speak.  I  set  you  free.  Get  into 
that  boat ;  one  oar  w  ill  sufiice  to  guide  it ;  the  wind  will 
drive  it  to  the  island.  I  send  it  as  a  parting  gift  to  Manton 
and  my  fonner  associates.     It  is  large  enongh  to  hold  them 


THE  SAXDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  271 

all.  Tell  them  that  I  repent  of  my  sins,  and  the  sooner 
they  do  the  same  the  better.  I  cannot  now  undo  the  evil 
I  have  done  them.  I  can  only  furnish  the  means  of  escape, 
p:  that  they  may  have  time  and  opportunity  to  mend  their 
ways ;  and,  hark'ee,  the  sooner  they  leave  this  place  the 
better.     It  will  no  longer  be  a  safe  retreat.     Farewell ! " 

While  he  was  speaking  he  led  the  man  by  the  arm  to 
the  side  of  the  schooner,  and  constrained  him  to  get  into 
the  boat.  As  he  uttered  the  last  word  he  cut  the  rope  that 
held  it,  and  let  it  drop  astern. 

Gascoyne  immediately  resumed  his  place  at  the  helm, 
and  once  more  the  schooner  was  running  through  the 
water,  almost  gunwale  under,  towards  the  place  where  the 
"Wasp  had  been  wrecked. 

Without  uttering  a  word  of  explanation,  and  apparently 
forgetful  of  every  one  near  him,  the  pirate  continued 
during  the  remainder  of  that  night  to  steer  the  Foam  out 
and  in  among  the  roaring  breakers,  as  if  he  were  trying 
how  near  he  could  venture  to  the  jaws  of  destruction  with- 
out actually  plunging  into  them.  As  the  night  wore  on 
the  sky  cleared  up,  and  the  scene  of  foaming  desolation  that 
was  presented  by  the  breakers  in  the  midst  of  which  they 
flew,  was  almost  enough  to  appal  the  stoutest  heart. 

The  crew  looked  on  in  moody  silence.  They  knew  that 
their  lives  were  imperilled ;  but  they  felt  that  they  had  no 
resource  !  No  one  dared  to  address  the  silent,  stern  man 
who  stood  like  an  iron  statue  at  the  helm  the  whole  of  that 
night.  Towards  morning,  he  steered  out  from  among  the 
dangerous  coral  reefs,  and  ran  south  straight  before  the  wind. 

Then  Corrie  summoned  up  courage,  and.  going  aft  to 
Gascoyne,  looked  up  in  his  face  and  said: 

"  You're  searching  for  Henry,  I  think  ?  '* 

"Yes,  ^oy,  1  am,"  answered  the  pirate,  and  a  gleam  of 


272  GASCOYNE. 

kindliness  crossed  his  face  for  a  moment ;  but  it  was  quickly 
chased  away  by  a  look  of  deep  anxiety,  and  Corrie  retired. 

Now  that  the  danger  of  the  night  was  over,  all  the 
people  on  board  became  anxious  to  save  Henry,  or  ascer- 
tain his  fate;  but  although  they  searched  the  ocean  far 
and  wide,  they  saw  not  a  vestige  of  him  or  of  the  Wasp. 
During  this  period  Gascoyne  acted  like  a  bewildered  man. 
He  never  quitted  the  helm  night  or  day.  He  only  ate  a 
biscuit  now  and  then  when  it  was  brought  to  him,  and  he 
did  not  answer  when  he  was  spoken  to. 

Every  one  felt  sympathy  with  the  man  who  seemed  to 
mourn  so  deeply  for  the  lost  youth. 

At  last  Montague  went  up  to  him  and  said,  in  a  gentle 
voice :  "  I  fear  that  Henry  is  gone." 

Gascoyne  started  as  if  a  sword  had  pierced  him.  For 
one  moment  he  looked  fiercely  in  the  young  captain's  face  ; 
then  an  expression  of  the  deepest  sadness  overspread  his 
countenance  as  he  said :  "  Do  you  think  there  is  no  hope  ?  " 

"None,"  said  Montague.  "I  grieve  to  give  pain  to 
one  who  seems  to  have  been  an  intimate  friend  of  the  lad." 

"  He  was  the  son  of  my  oldest  and  best  friend.  What 
would  you  advise,  Mr.  Montague  ?  " 

"  I  think  —  that  is  to  say,  don't  you  think  —  that  it 
would  be  as  well  to  put  about  now  ?  " 

Gascoyne's  head  dropped  on  his  chest,  and  for  some 
moments  he  stood  speechless,  while  his  strong  hands  played 
nervously  with  the  tiller  that  they  had  held  so  long  and  so 
firmly.  At  last  he  looked  up  and  said,  in  a  low  voice :  *'  I 
resign  the  schooner  into  your  hands,  Mr.  Montague." 

Then  he  went  slowly  below,  and  shut  himself  up  in  his 
cabin. 

Montague  at  once  put  down  the  helm,  and,  pointing  the 
schooner's  prow  northward,  steered  for  the  harbor  of  Sandy 
Cove. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


SUTILT  DICK  — THE   RESCUE. 


We  must  turn  aside  here  for  a  short  time  to  follow  the 
fortunes  of  the  Talisman. 

Wlien  that  vessel  went  in  chase  of  the  Foam,  after  her 
daring  passage  across  the  reefs,  she  managed  to  keep  her 
in  view  until  the  island  was  out  of  sight  astern.  Then  the 
increasing  darkness  caused  by  the  squall  hid  the  two  ves- 
sels from  each  other,  and  before  the  storm  passed  away 
the  superior  sailing  qualities  of  the  Foam  carried  her  far 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  cruiser. 

But  Mr.  Mulroy  was  not  a  man  to  be  easily  baffled. 
He  resolved  to  continue  the  chase,  and,  supposing  that  his 
commander  must  have  got  safely  to  fhe  shore,  he  made  up 
his  mind  to  proceed  southward  for  a  short  time,  thinking 
it  probable  that  the  pirate  would  run  for  the  shelter  of 
those  remote  islands  which  he  knew  were  seldom  visited 
by  the  merchant  ships.  The  importance  of  keeping  the 
ohase  in  view  as  long  as  possible,  and  following  it  up  with- 
out delay,  he  felt  would  be  accepted  as  a  sufficient  excuse 
by  Montague  for  not  putting  back  to  take  him  on  board. 

The  squalls  which  happened  to  prevail  at  that  time 
drove  the  Talisman  further  south  than  her  jfirst  lieutenant 
had  intended  to  go,  and  she  failed  to  fall  in  with  the  pirate 
schooner.  Mulroy  cruised  far  and  wide  for  fully  a  week  ; 
then  he  ga>'e  up  the  chase  as  hopeless.  Tivo  days  after 
18 


2^i  GASCOYXE, 

the  breaking  of  the  storm  that  wrecked  the  Wasp,  the  Tal- 
isman's prow  was  turned  northward  towards  Sandy  Cove. 

It  was  the  close  of  a  calm,  beautiful  evening  when  this 
was  done.  A  gentle  breeze  fanned  the  topsails,  although 
it  failed  tc  ruffle  the  sea. 

"  I  don't  like  to  be  baffled  in  this  waj,"  said  Mulroy  to 
the  second  lieutenant,  as  they  paced  the  quarter-deck  to- 
gether. 

"  It  is  very  unfortunate,"  returned  the  other.  "  Would 
it  not  be  well  to  examine  the  man  called  Surly  Dick  before 
leaving  these  waters  ?  You  know  he  let  out  that  there  is 
some  island  hereabout  at  which  the  pirates  are  wont  to 
rendezvous.  Perhaps  by  threats,  if  not  by  persuasion,  he 
may  be  induced  to  tell  us  where  it  lies." 

"True.  I  had  forgotten  that  fellow  altogether.  Let 
him  be  sent  for." 

In  a  few  minutes  Surly  Dick  stepped  on  the  quarter- 
deck and  touched  his  cap.  He  did  not  appear  to  have 
grown  less  surly  since  his  introduction  on  board  the  frig- 
ate. Discipline  had  evidently  a  souring  effect  on  his 
temper. 

"  Your  late  comrades  have  escaped  me,"  said  the  first 
lieutenant ;  "  but,  you  may  depend  upon,  it  I  will  catch  the 
villains  in  the  long  run." 

"  It'll  be  a  pretty  long  run  before  you  do,"  remarked 
the  man,  sulkily. 

Mulroy  looked  sternly  at  him.  "  You  forget,"  said  he, 
"that  you  are  a  prisoner.  Let  me  advise  you  to  be  at 
least  civil  in  your  manner  and  tone.  Whether  the  run 
shall  be  a  long  or  a  short  one  remains  to  be  seen.  One 
thing  is  pretty  certain  ;  namely,  that  your  own  run  of  life 
will  be  a  very  short  one.  You  know  the  usual  doom  of  a 
pirate  when  he  is  caught." 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  275 

Surly  Dick  moved  uneasily.  "  I  was  made  a  pirate 
against  my  will,"  said  he,  in  a  still  more  sulky  tone  and 
disrespectful  manner. 

"  You  will  find  it  difficult  to  prove  that,"  returned  Mul- 
roy.  "  Meanwhile  I  shall  put  you  in  irons,  and  treat  you 
as  you  deserve,  until  I  can  place  you  in  the  hands  of  the 
civil  authorities." 

Surly  Dick  stood  first  on  one  leg  and  then  on  the  other ; 
moved  his  fingers  about  nervously,  and  glanced  in  the 
lieutenant's  face  furtively.  It  was  evident  that  he  was  ill 
at  ease. 

"  I  never  committed  murder,  sir,"  said  he,  in  an  improved 
tone.  "  It  wasn't  allowed  on  board  of  the  Avenger,  sir. 
It's  a  hard  case  that  a  fellow  should  be  made  a  pirate  by 
force,  and  then  he  scragged  for  it,  though  he's  done  none 
o'  the  bloody  work." 

"  Tliis  may  be  true,"  rejoined  the  lieutenant ;  "  but,  as  I 
have  said,  you  will  find  it  difficult  to  convince  your  judges 
of  it.  But  you  will  receive  a  fair  trial.  There  is  one 
thing,  however,  that  will  stand  in  your  favor,  and  that  is  a 
full  and  free  confession.  If  you  make  this,  and  give  me 
all  the  information  you  can  in  order  to  bring  your  late 
comrades  to  justice,  your  judges  will  perhaps  be  disposed 
to  view  your  case  leniently." 

"  Wot  more  can  I  confess,  sir  ?  "  said  Dick,  beginning 
to  look  a  little  more  interested.  "  I've  already  confessed 
that  I  was  made  a  pirate  against  my  will,  and  that  I've 
never  done  no  murder ;  though  I  have  plundered  a  little, 
just  like  the  rest.  As  for  helpin'  to  bring  my  comrades  to 
justice,  I  only  wish  as  I  know'd  how,  and  I'd  do  it  j  ght 
oif,  I  would." 

Surly  Dick's  expression  of  countenance  when  he  said 
this  was  a  sufficient  guarantee  that  he  was  in  earnest. 


276  GASCOTXE, 

"There  is  an  island  somewhere  hereabout,"  said  the 
lieutenant,  "  where  the  pirates  are  in  the  habit  of  hiding 
sometimes,  is  there  not  ?  " 

Surly  Dick  looked  at  his  questioner  slyly  as  he  replied, 
"  There  is,  sir." 

"  Do  you  not  think  it  very  likely  that  they  may  have 
run  there  now, —  that  they  may  be  there  at  this  mo- 
ment ? " 

"It's  oncommon  likely,"  replied  Dick,  with  a  grin. 

"  Can  you  direct  me  how  to  steer,  in  order  to  reach  that 
island?" 

Surly  Dick's  aspect  changed.  He  became  morose 
again,  and  looked  silently  at  his  feet  for  a  few  moments,  as 
if  he  were  debating  something  in  his  own  mind.  He  was, 
in  truth,  perplexed ;  for,  while  he  was  extremely  anxious 
to  bring  his  hated  comrades  to  justice,  he  was  by  no  means 
so  anxious  to  let  the  lieutenant  into  the  secret  of  the  treas- 
ures contained  in  the  caverns  of  the  Isle  of  Palms,  all  of 
which  he  knew  would  be  at  once  swept  hopelessly  beyond 
his  grasp  if  they  should  be  discovered.  He  also  reflected 
that  if  he  could  only  manage  to  get  his  late  companions 
comfortably  hanged,  and  himself  set  free  for  having  turned 
King's  evidence  against  them,  he  could  return  to  the  island 
and  abstract  the  wealth  it  contained  by  degrees.  The 
brilliant  prospect  thus  opened  up  to  him  was  somewhat 
marred,  however,  by  the  consideration  that  some  of  the 
pirates  might  make  a  confession  and  let  this  secret  be 
known,  in  which  case  his  golden  dreams  would  vanish. 
The  difficulty  of  making  up  his  mind  was  so  great  that  he 
continued  for  some  time  to  twist  his  finger-s  and  move  his 
feet  uneas/'ly  in  silence. 

Mulroy  observed  the  pirate's  indecision,  and,  although 
he  knew  not  its  cause  to  the  full  extent,  he  was  sufficiently 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  277 

acquainted  with  human  nature  to  know  that  now  tvass  the 
moment  to  overcome  the  man,  if  he  was  to  be  overcome 
at  all. 

"  Wei],  well,"  he  said,  carelessly ;  "  I'm  sorry  to  see  you 
throw  away  your  only  chance.  As  for  the  information  you 
refuse  to  give,  I  can  do  without  it.  Perhaps  I  may  find 
some  of  your  late  comrades  when  we  make  the  island,  who 
will  stand  witness  against  you.  That  will  do,  my  man  ; 
you  may  go.  Mr.  Geoffrey"  (turning  to  a  midshipmr.n), 
"  will  you  accompany  that  pirate  forward,  and  see  that  he 
is  put  in  irons  ?  " 

"  But  you  don't  know  where  the  island  is,"  said  Surly 
Dick,  anxiously,  as  the  lieutenant  was  turning  away. 

Mulroy  turned  back :  "  No,"  said  he  ;  "  but  you  ought 
to  know  that  when  a  seaman  is  aware  of  the  existence  of 
an  island,  and  knows  that  he  is  near  it,  a  short  time  will 
suffice  to  enable  him  to  find  it." 

Again  he  was  about  to  turn  away,  when  Dick  cried  out, 
"  Stay,  sir ;  will  you  stand  by  me  if  I  show  you  the 
way  ?  " 

"  I  will  not  deceive  you,"  said  Mulroy,  bluntly.  "  If 
you  show  me  how  to  steer  for  this  island,  and  assist  me  in 
every  way  that  you  can  to  catch  these  villains,  I  will  re- 
port what  you  have  done,  and  the  judges  at  your  trial  will 
give  what  weight  they  please  to  the  facts  ;  but  if  you  sup- 
pose that  I  will  plead  for  such  a  rascal  as  you  are,  you  very 
much  mistake  me." 

A  look  of  deep  hatred  settled  on  the  pirate's  countenance 
as  he  said,  briefly,  "  Well,  I'll  show  you  how  to  steer." 

Accordingly,  Surly  Dick,  after  being  shown  a  chart,  and 
being  made  aware  of  the  exact  position  of  the  ship,  ordered 
the  course  to  be  altered  to  "  north-half-east."  As  this  was 
almost  dead  in  the  eye  of  the  light  breeze  that  was  blow- 


278  GASCOYNE, 

ing,  the  Talisman  had  to  proceed  on  her  course  by  the 
slow  process  of  tacking. 

While  she  was  in  the  act  of  putting  about  on  one  of 
these  tacks,  the  look-out  reported  "  a  boat  on  the  lee  bow." 

"  Boat  on  the  lee  bow  ! "  was  passed  from  mouth  to 
mouth,  and  the  order  was  immediately  given  to  let  the 
frigate  fall  off.  In  another  moment,  instead  of  ploughing 
her  way  slowly  and  doggedly  to  windward,  the  Talisman 
ran  swiftly  before  the  breeze  toward  a  dark  object  which 
at  a  distance  resembled  a  boat  with  a  mast  and  a  small 
flag  flying  from  it. 

"  It  is  a  raft,  I  think,"  observed  the  second  lieutenant, 
as  he  adjusted  the  telescope  more  perfectly. 

"  You  are  right ;  and  I  think  there  is  some  one  on  it,"  said 
Mulroy.  "  I  see  something  like  a  man  lying  on  it ;  but 
whether  he  is  dead  or  alive  I  cannot  say.  There  is  a  flag, 
undoubtedly ;  but  no  one  waves  a  handkerchief  or  a  rag 
of  any  kind.  Surely,  if  a  living  being  occupied  the  raft, 
he  would  have  seen  the  ship  by  this  time.  Stay ;  he 
moves  !  No ;  it  must  have  been  imagination.  I  fear 
that  he  is  dead,  poor  fellow.     Stand  by  to  lower  a  boat. 

The  lieutenant  spoke  in  a  sad  voice  ;  for  he  felt  con- 
vinced that  he  had  come  too  late  to  the  aid  of  some  un- 
fortunate who  had  died  in  perhaps  the  most  miserable 
manner  in  which  man  can  perish. 

Henry  Stuart  did  indeed  lie  on  the  raft  a  dead  man  to 
all  appearance.  Towards  the  evening  of  his  third  day,  he 
had  suffered  very  severely  from  the  pangs  of  hunger. 
Long  and  earnestly  had  he  gazed  round  the  horizon,  but 
no  sail  appeared.  He  felt  that  his  end  was  approaching, 
and,  in  a  fit  of  despair  and  increasing  weakness,  he  fell  on 
his  face  in  a  state  of  half  consciousness.  Then  he  beiran 
to  pray,  and  gradually  he  fell  into  a  t  roubled  slumber. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  279 

It  was  while  lie  was  in  this  condition  that  the  Talisman 
hove  in  sight.  Hemy  had  frequently  fallen  into  this 
species  of  sleep  during  the  last  few  hours,  but  he  never 
continued  in  it  long ;  for  the  pains  of  thirst,  as  well  as 
hunger,  now  racked  his  frame.  Nevertheless,  he  was  not 
much  reduced  in  strength  or  vigor.  A  long,  slow  process 
of  dying  would  have  still  lain  before  the  poor  youth,  had 
it  been  his  lot  to  perish  on  that  raft. 

A  dehghtful  dream  came  over  him  as  he  lay.  A  rich 
banquet  was  spread  before  him.  With  wolfish  desire  he 
grasped  the  food,  and  ate  as  he  never  ate  before.  Oh  !  it 
was  a  rare  feast,  that !  Each  morsel  was  delicious  ;  each 
draught  nectar.  But  he  could  not  devour  enough.  There 
was  a  strange  feeling  in  him  that  he  could  by  no  means 
eat  to  satisfaction. 

While  he  was  thus  feasting  in  dreams,  the  Talisman 
drew  near.  Her  bulwarks  were  crowded  with  faces  gazing 
earnestly  at  the  bit  of  red  rag  that  fluttered  in  the  breeze, 
and  the  pile  of  loose  spars  on  which  the  man's  form  lay 
extended  and  motionless. 

Suddenly  Henry  awoke,  with  a  start,  to  find  that  his  rich 
banquet  was  a  terrible  delusion ;  that  he  was  starving  to 
death;  and  that  a  large  ship  was  hove  to  within  a  few 
yards  of  him ! 

Starting  up  on  his  knees,  he  uttered  a  wild  shriek. 
Then,  as  the  truth  entered  his  soul,  he  raised  his  hand  and 
gave  a  faint  cheer. 

The  revulsion  of  feeling  in  the  crew  of  the  Talisman 
was  overpowering.  A  long,  loud,  tremendous  cheer  burst 
from  every  heart ! 

"  Lower  away ! "  was  shouted  to  the  men  who  stood  at 
the  fall-tackles  of  the  boat. 

As  the  familiar  sounds  broke  on  Henry's  ear,  he  leaped 


280  GASCOYNE. 

to  his  feet,  and,  waving  his  hand  above  his  head,  again  at* 
tempted  to  cheer ;  but  his  voice  failed  him.  Staggering 
backwards,  he  fell  fainting  into  the  sea. 

Almost  at  the  same  instant,  a  man  leaped  from  the  bul- 
wark of  the  frigate,  and  swam  vigorously  towards  the  raft. 
It  was  Richard  Price,  the  boatswain  of  the  frigate.  He 
reached  Henry  before  the  boat  did,  and,  grasping  his  in- 
animate form,  supported  him  until  it  came  up  and  rescued 
them  both.  A  few  minutes  later  Heniy  Stuart  was  re- 
stored to  consciousness,  and  the  surgeon  of  the  frigate  was 
administering  to  him  such  restoratives  as  his  condition 
seemed  to  require. 


CHAPTER  XX  /I. 


THE  CAPTURE  AND   THE  FIRE. 


Eight  days  after  the  rescue  of  Henry  Stuart  from  a 
horrible  death,  as  related  in  the  last  chapter,  the  Talisman 
found  herself,  late  in  the  afternoon,  within  about  forty 
hours'  sail  of  Sandy  Cove. 

Mulroy  had  visited  the  Isle  of  Palms,  and  found  that 
the  pirates  had  flown.  The  mate  of  the  Avenger  and  his 
companions  had  taken  advantage  of  the  opportunity  of 
escape  afforded  them  by  Gascoyne,  and  had  hastily  quitted 
their  rendezvous,  with  as  much  of  the  most  valuable  por- 
tion of  their  booty  as  the  boat  could  carry.  As  this  is 
their  last  appearance  in  these  pages,  it  may  be  as  well  to 
say  that  they  were  never  again  heard  of.  Whether  they 
perished  in  a  storm,  or  gained  some  distant  land,  and  fol- 
lowed their  former  leader's  advice,  —  to  repent  of  their 
sins,  —  or  again  took  to  piracy,  and  continued  the  practice 
of  their  terrible  trade  under  a  more  bloody-minded  captain, 
we  cannot  tell.  They  disappeared  as  many  a  band  of 
wicked  men  has  disappeared  before,  and  never  turned  up 
again.  "With  these  remarks,  we  dismiss  them  from  our 
tale. 

Surly  Dick  now  began  to  entertain  sanguine  hopes 
that  he  would  be  pardoned,  and  that  he  would  yet  live  to 
enjoy  the  undivided  booty  which  he  alone  knew  lay  con- 
cealed in  the  Isle  of  Palms ;    for,  now  that  he  had  heard 


282  GASCOTNE, 

Henry's  account  of  the  landing  of  Gascoync  on  tlie  island, 
he  never  doubted  that  the  pirates  would  fly  in  haste  from 
a  spot  that  was  no  longer  unkno\vn  to  others,  and  that 
they  would  be  too  much  afraid  of  being  captured  to  ven- 
ture to  return  to  it. 

It  was,  then,  with  a  feeling  of  no  small  concern,  that 
the  pirate  heard  the  look-out  shout  on  the  afternoon  re- 
ferred to,  "  Sail  ho !  " 

"  Where  away  ?  " 

"  On  the  lee  beam." 

The  course  of  the  frigate  was  at  once  changed,  and  she 
ran  down  towards  the  strange  sail. 

"  A  schooner,  sir,"  observed  the  second  lieutenant  to 
ISIr.  Mulroy. 

"  It  looks  marvellously  like  the  Foam,  alias  the  Aveng- 
er," observed  the  latter.  "Beat  to  quarters.  If  this 
rascally  pirate  has  indeed  been  thrown  in  our  way  again, 
we  will  give  him  a  warm  reception.  Why,  the  villain 
has  actually  altered  his  course,  and  is  standing  towards 
us. 

"  Don't  you  think  it  is  just  possible,"  suggested  Henry 
Stuart,  "that  Gascoyne  may  have  captured  the  vessel 
from  his  mate,  and  now  comes  to  meet  us  as  a  friend  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that,"  said  Mulroy,  in  an  excited  tone  ; 
for  he  could  not  easily  forget  the  rough  usage  his  vessel 
had  received  at  the  hands  of  the  bold  pirate.  "  I  don't 
know  that.  No  doubt  Gascoyne's  mate  was  against  him  ; 
but  the  greater  part  of  the  crew  were  evidently  in  his  favor, 
else  why  the  secret  manner  in  which  he  was  depHved  of 
his  command  ?  No,  no.  Depend  upon  it,  the  villain  has 
got  hold  of  his  schooner  and  will  keep  it.  By  a  fortunate 
chance  we  have  again  met ;  I  will  see  to  it  that  we  do  not 
part  without  a  close  acquaintance.     Yet  why  he  should 


THE  SANDJ\L-WOOD  TRADER.  283 

throw  himself  into  my  very  arms  in  this  way,  puzzles  me. 
Ha !  I  see  his  big  gun  amidships.  It  is  uncovered.  No 
doubt  he  counts  on  his  superior  sailing  powers,  and  means 
to  give  us  a  shot  and  show  us  his  heels.  Well,  we  shall 
see." 

"  There  goes  his  flag,"  observed  the  second  lieutenant. 

«  What  I  eh  !  It's  the  Union  Jack ! "  exclaimed  Mul- 
roy. 

"I  doubt  not  that  your  own  captain  commands  the 
schooner,"  said  Henry,  who  had,  of  course,  long  before 
this  time,  made  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  Talisman  ac- 
quainted with  Montague's  capture  by  the  pirate,  along 
with  Alice  and  her  companions.  "  You  naturally  mis- 
trust Gascoyne ;  but  I  have  reason  to  believe  that,  on  this 
occasion  at  least,  he  is  a  true  man." 

Mulroy  returned  no  answer ;  for  the  two  vessels  were 
now  almost  near  enough  to  enable  those  on  board  to  dis* 
tinguish  faces  with  the  telescope.  A  very  few  minutes 
sufficed  to  remove  all  doubts ;  and,  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
later,  Montague  stood  on  his  own  quarter-deck,  receiving 
the  congratulations  of  his  officers,  while  Henry  Stuart  was 
seized  upon  and  surrounded  by  his  friends  Corrie,  Ahce, 
Poopy,  the  missionary,  and  Ole  Thorwald. 

In  the  midst  of  a  volley  of  excited  conversation,  Henry 
suddenly  exclaimed,  "  But  what  of  Gascoyne  ?  Where  is 
the  pirate  captain  ?  " 

"  Why,  we've  forgotten  him ; "  exclaimed  Thorwald, 
whose  pipe  was  doing  duty  like  a  factory  chimney.  "  I 
shouldn't  wonder  if  he  took  advantage  of  us  just  now  to 
give  us  the  slip  !  " 

"No  fear  of  that,"  said  Mr.  Mason.  "Poor  fellow, 
he  has  felt  your  loss  terribly,  Henry ;  for  we  all  believed 
that  you  were  lost;  but  I  am  bound  to  confess  that  noiio 


284  GASCOYXE, 

of  us  have  shown  a  depth  of  sorrow  equal  to  that  of  Gas- 
coyne.  It  seems  unaccountable  to  me.  He  has  not  shown 
his  face  on  deck  since  the  day  he  gave  up  all  hope  of  res- 
cuing you,  and  has  eaten  nothing  but  a  biscuit  now  and 
then,  which  he  would  suffer  no  one  but  Corrie  to  take  to 
him." 

"  Poor  Gascoyne !  I  will  go  and  relieve  his  mind,"  said 
Henry,  turning  to  quit  the  quarter-deck. 

Now,  the  noise  created  by  the  meeting  of  the  two  ves- 
sels had  aroused  Gascoyne  from  the  lethargic  state  of 
mind  and  body  to  which  he  had  given  way.  Coming  on 
deck,  he  was  amazed  to  find  himself  close  to  the  Talisman. 
A  boat  lay  alongside  the  Foam,  into  which  he  jumped, 
and,  sculling  towards  the  frigate,  he  stepped  over  the  bul- 
warks just  as  Henry  turned  to  go  in  search  of  him. 

The  pirate  captain's  face  wore  a  haggard,  careworn, 
humbled  look,  that  was  very  different  from  its  usual  bold, 
lion-like  expression.  No  one  can  tell  what  a  storm  had 
passed  through  the  strong  man's  breast  while  he  lay  alone 
on  the  floor  of  his  cabin,  —  the  deep,  deep  sorrow  ;  the 
remorse  for  sin  ;  the  bitterness  of  soul,  when  he  reflected 
that  his  present  misery  was  chargeable  only  to  himself.  A 
few  nights  had  given  him  the  aspect  of  a  much  older  man. 

For  a  few  seconds  he  stood  glancing  round  the  quarter- 
deck of  the  Talisman  with  a  look  of  mingled  curiosity  and 
sadness.  But  when  his  eye  fell  on  the  form  of  Henry  he 
turned  deadly  pale,  and  trembled  like  an  aspen  leaf. 

"  Well,  Gascoyne,  my  —  my  — friend,'*  said  the  youth, 
with  some  hesitation,  as  he  advanced. 

The  shout  that  Gascoyne  uttered  on  hearing  the  young 
man's  voice  was  almost  superhuman.  It  was  something 
like  a  mingled  cheer  and  cry  of  agony.  In  another  mo- 
ment 1  e  sprang  forward,  anJ,  seizing  Henry  in  his  arms, 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  285 

pressed  him  to  his  breast  with  a  grasp  that  rendered  the 
youth  utterly  powerless. 

Almost  instantly  he  released  him  from  his  embrace, 
and,  seizing  his  hand,  said,  in  a  wild,  gay,  almost  fierce 
nanner : 

"  Come,  Henry,  lad ;  I  have  somewhat  to  say  to  you. 
Come  with  me." 

He  forced  rather  than  led  the  amazed  youth  into  the 
boat,  sculled  to  the  schooner,  hurried  him  into  the  cabin, 
and  shut  and  locked  the  door. 

We  need  scarcely  say  that  all  this  was  a  matter  of  the 
deepest  curiosity  and  interest  to  those  who  witnessed  it ; 
but  they  were  destined  to  remain  with  their  curiosity  un 
satisfied  for  some  time  after  that. 

When  Henry  Stuart  issued  from  the  cabin  of  the 
Avenger  after  that  mysterious  interview,  his  countenance 
wore  a  surprised  and  troubled  expression.  Gascoyne's,  on 
the  contrary,  was  grave  and  calm,  yet  cheerful.  He  was 
more  like  his  former  self. 

The  young  man  was,  of  course,  eagerly  questioned  as  to 
what  had  been  said  to  him,  and  why  the  pirate  had  shown 
such  fondness  for  him ;  but  the  only  reply  that  could  be 
got  from  him  was,  "  I  must  not  tell.  It  is  a  private  mat- 
ter.    You  shall  know  time  enough." 

With  tliis  answer  they  were  fain  to  be  content.  Even 
Corrie  failed  to  extract  anything  more  definite  from  his 
friend. 

A  prize  crew  was  put  on  board  the  Foam,  and  the  two 
vessels  proceeded  towards  the  harbor  of  Sandy  Cove  in 
company. 

Henry  and  his  friends  went  in  the  Foam  ;  but  Gascoyne 
was  detained  a  prisoner  on  board  the  Talisman.  Mon- 
tague felt  that  it  was  his  duty  to  put  him  in  u'ons  ;  but  he 


286  GASJOYNE, 

could  not  prevail  on  himself  to  heap  unnecessary  indignity 
on  the  head  of  one  who  had  rendered  him  such  good  ser- 
vice ;  so  he  left  him  at  large,  intending  to  put  him  in  irons 
only  when  duty  compelled  him  to  do  so. 

During  the  night  a  stiff  breeze,  amounting  almost  to  a 
gale,  of  fair  wind  sprang  up,  and  the  two  vessels  flew 
towards  their  destination ;  but  the  Foam  left  her  bulky 
companion  far  behind. 

That  night  a  dark  and  savage  mind  was  engaged  on 
board  the  Talisman  in  working  out  a  black  and  desperate 
plot.  Surly  Dick  saw,  in  the  capture  of  Gascoyne  and 
the  Foam,  the  end  of  all  his  cherished  hopes,  and  in  a  fit 
of  despair  and  rage  he  resolved  to  be  avenged. 

This  man,  when  he  first  came  on  board  the  frigate,  had 
not  been  known  as  a  pirate,  and  afterwards,  as  we  have 
seen,  he  had  been  treated  with  leniency  on  account  of  his 
offer  to  turn  informant  against  his  former  associates.  In 
the  stirring  events  that  followed,  he  had  been  overlooked, 
and,  on  the  night  of  which  we  are  writing,  he  found  him- 
self free  to  retire  to  his  hammock  with  the  rest  of  the 
watch. 

In  the  night,  when  the  wind  was  howling  mournfully 
through  the  rigging,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  crew  were 
buried  in  repose,  this  man  rose  stealthily  from  his  ham- 
mock, and,  with  noiseless  tread,  found  his  way  to  a  dark 
corner  of  the  ship  where  the  eyes  of  the  sentries  were  not 
likely  to  observe  him.  Here  he  had  made  preparations 
for  his  diabolical  purpose.  Drawing  a  flint  and  steel  from 
his  pocket,  he  proceeded  to  strike  a  light.  This  was  pro- 
<!Lired  in  a  few  seconds  ;  and  as  the  match  flared  up  in  his 
face,  it  revealed  the  workings  of  a  countenance  in  which 
all  the  strongest  and  worst  passions  of  human  nature  bad 
stamped  deop  and  terrible  lines. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  287 

The  pirate  had  taken  the  utmost  care,  by  arranging  an 
old  sail  over  the  spot,  to  prevent  the  reflection  of  the  light 
being  seen.  It  revealed  a  large  mass  of  oakum  and  tar. 
Into  the  heart  of  this  he  thrust  the  match,  and  instantly 
glided  away,  as  he  had  come,  stealthily  and  without  noise. 

For  a  few  seconds  the  fire  smouldered  ;  for  the  sail  that 
covered  it  kept  it  down,  as  well  as  hid  it  from  view.  But 
such  combustible  material  could  not  be  smothered  long. 
The  smell  of  burning  soon  reached  one  of  the  marines 
etationed  on  the  lower  deck,  who  instantly  gave  the  alarm  ; 
but  almost  before  the  words  had  passed  his  lips  the  flames 
burst  forth. 

"  Fire  !  fire  I  fire  !  " 

What  a  scene  ensued !  There  was  confusion  at  first ; 
for  no  sound  at  sea  rings  so  terribly  in  the  ear  as  the  shout 
of  "  Fire ! " 

But  speedily  the  stern  discipline  on  board  a  man-of-war 
prevailed.  Men  were  stationed  in  rows  ;  the  usual  appli- 
ances for  the  extinction  of  fire  vrere  brought  into  play; 
buckets  of  water  were  passed  down  below  as  fast  as  they 
could  be  drawn.  No  miscellaneous  shouting  took  place ; 
but  the  orders  that  were  necessary,  and  the  noise  of  action, 
together  with  the  excitement  and  the  dense  smoke  that 
rolled  up  the  hatchway,  produced  a  scene  of  the  wildest 
and  most  stirring  description. 

In  the  midst  of  this,  the  pirate  captain,  as  might  have 
been  expected,  performed  a  prominent  part.  His  great 
physical  strength  enabled  him  to  act  with  a  degree  of 
vigor  that  rendered  his  aid  most  valuable.  He  wrought 
with  the  energy  of  a  huge  mechanical  power,  and  with  a 
quick  promptitude  of  perception  and  a  ready  change  of 
action  which  is  denied  to  mere  mechanism.  He  tore  down 
the  bulkheads  that  rendered  it  difficult  to  get  at  the  place 


288  GASCOYNE, 

where  the  fire  was  ;  he  hurled  bucket  after  bucket  of  water 
on  the  glowing  mass,  and  rushed,  amid  clouds  of  hot  steam 
and  suffocating  smoke,  with  piles  of  wet  blankets  to  smother 
it  out. 

Montague  and  he  wrought  together.  The  young  cap- 
tain issued  his  orders  as  calmly  as  if  there  were  no  danger, 
yet  with  a  promptitude  and  vigor  that  inspired  his  men 
with  confidence.  Gascoyne's  voice  was  never  heard.  He 
obeyed  orders,  and  acted  as  circumstances  required ;  but 
he  did  not  presume,  as  men  are  apt  to  do  on  such  occasions, 
to  give  orders  and  advice  when  there  was  a  legitimate 
commander.  Only  once  or  twice  were  the  deep  tones  of 
his  bass  voice  heard,  when  he  called  for  more  water,  or 
warned  the  more  daring  among  the  men  when  danger  from 
falling  timber  threatened  them. 

But  all  this  availed  not  to  check  the  flames.  The  men 
were  quickly  driven  upon  deck,  and  it  soon  became  evi- 
dent that  the  vessel  must  perish.  The  fire  burst  through 
the  hatchways,  and  in  a  short  time  began  to  leap  up  the 
rigging. 

It  now  became  necessary  to  make  arrangements  for  the 
saving  of  the  crew. 

"  Nothing  more  can  be  done,  Mr.  Mulroy,"  said  Mon- 
tague, in  a  calm  voice,  that  accorded  ill  with  the  state  of 
his  mind.  "  Get  the  boats  ready,  and  order  the  men  to 
assemble  on  the  quarter-deck." 

"  If  we  were  only  nearer  the  island,"  said  Gascoyne,  in  a 
low  tone,  as  if  he  were  talking  to  himself,  "we  might  run 
her  on  the  reef,  and  the  breakers  would  soon  put  out  the  fire." 

"  That  would  be  little  consolation  to  me,"  said  Montague, 
with  a  bitter  smile.  "  Lower  the  boats,  Mr.  Mulroy.  The 
Foam  has  observed  our  condition,  I  see.  Let  tb  )m  row  t-o 
it.     I  will  go  in  the  gig." 


THE  SAm)AL-WOOD  TRADER.  289 

The  first  lieutenant  hastened  to  obey  the  order,  and  the 
men  embarked  in  the  boats,  lighted  by  the  flames,  which 
were  now  roaring  high  up  the  masts. 

Meanwhile  the  man  who  had  been  the  cause  of  all  this 
was  rushing  about  the  deck,  a  furious  maniac.  He  had 
wrought  at  the  fire  almost  as  fiercely  as  Gascoyne  himself, 
and  now  that  all  hope  was  past,  he  continued,  despite  the 
orders  of  Montague  to  the  contrary,  to  draw  water  and 
rush  with  bucket  after  bucket  into  the  midst  of  the  roaring 
flames.  At  last  he  disappeared,  no  one  knew  where,  and 
no  one  cared ;  for  in  such  a  scene  he  was  soon  forgotten. 

The  last  man  left  the  ship  when  the  heat  on  the  poop 
became  so  great  that  it  was  scarcely  possible  to  stand  there. 
Still  Montague  and  Gascoyne  stood  side  by  side  near  the 
taffrail,  and  the  gig  with  her  crew  floated  just  below  them. 
The  last  boatful  of  men  pulled  away  from  the  burning  ves- 
sel and  then  Montague  turned,  with  a  deep  sigh,  and 
said: 

"  Now,  Mr.  Gascoyne,  get  into  the  boat.  I  must  be  the 
last  man  to  quit  the  ship. 

Without  a  word,  Gascoyne  swung  himself  over  the 
stem,  and,  sliding  down  by  a  rope,  dropped  into  the  boat. 
Montague  followed,  and  they  rowed  away. 

Just  at  that  moment  Surly  Dick  sprang  on  the  bul- 
warks, and,  holding  on  by  the  mizzen-shrouds,  took  off  his 
hat  and  cheered. 

"  Ha !  ha !  '*  he  shrieked,  with  a  fiendish  laugh,  "  I've 
escaped  you,  have  I  ?  escaped  you  —  hurrah !  "  and  with 
another  wild  shriek  he  leaped  on  the  hot  deck,  and,  seizing 
a  bucket,  resumed  his  self-imposed  duty  of  delughig  the 
fire  with  water. 

"  Pull,  pull,  lads !  We  can't  leave  the  miserable  man  to 
perish,"  cried  Montague,  starting  up,  while  the  men  rowed 
19 


290  GASCOYNE. 

after  the  frigate  with  their  utmost  might.  But  in  vaia 
Already  she  was  far  from  them,  and  ever  increased  the 
distance  as  she  ran  before  the  gale. 

As  long  as  the  ship  lasted  the  poor  maniac  was  seen 
diligeutlj  pursuing  his  work;  stopping  now  and  then  to 
spring  on  the  bulwarks  and  give  another  cheer. 

At  last  the  blazing  vessel  left  boats  and  schooner  far 
behind,  and  the  flames  rose  in  great  flakes  and  tongues 
above  her  top-masts,  while  the  smoke  rolled  in  dense 
black  volumes  away  to  leeward. 

While  the  awe-stricken  crew  watched  her,  there  came 
a  sudden  flash  of  bright  white  flame,  as  if  a  volcano  had 
leaped  out  of  the  ocean.  The  powder-magazine  had 
caught.  It  was  followed  by  a  roaring  crash  that  seemed 
to  rend  the  very  heavens.  A  thick  darkness  settled  over 
the  scene ;  and  the  vessel  that  a  few  hours  before  had  been 
a  noble  frigate,  was  scattered  on  the  ocean  a  mass  of  black- 
eued  ruins. 


e  c  6  c 
c  <  c  cc 


C  C   C  C  I 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


PLEADING   FOB  LIFE. 


The  Pacific  is  not  always  calm,  but  neither  is  it  always 
stormy.  We  think  it  necessary  to  make  this  latter  ob- 
servation, because  the  succession  of  short-lived  gales  and 
squalls  which  have  been  prominently  and  unavoidably 
brought  forward  in  our  tale  might  lead  the  reader  to  deem 
the  name  of  this  ocean  inappropriate. 

The  gale  blew  itself  out  a  few  hours  after  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Talisman,  and  left  the  Foam  becalmed  within 
sight  of  Sandy  Cove  island,  almost  on  the  same  spot  of 
ocean  where  she  lay  when  we  introduced  her  to  the  reader 
in  the  first  chapter. 

Although  the  sea  was  not  quite  so  still  now,  owing  to 
the  swell  caused  by  the  recent  gale,  it  was  quite  as  glassy 
as  it  was  then.  The  sun,  too,  was  as  hot,  and  the  sky  as 
brilliant ;  but  the  aspect  of  the  Foam  was  much  changed. 
The  deep  quiet  was  gone.  Crowded  on  every  part  of  the 
deck,  and  even  down  in  her  hold,  were  the  crew  of  the 
man-of-war,  lolling  about  listlessly  and  sadly,  or  convers- 
ing with  grave  looks  about  the  catastrophe  which  had  de- 
prived them  so  suddenly  of  their  floating  home.  Gascoyne 
and  Henry  leaned  over  the  stern,  to  avoid  being  overheard 
by  those  around  them,  and  conversed  in  low  tones. 

"  But  why  not  attempt  to  escape  ?  "  said  the  latter,  in 
reply  tf  some  observation  made  by  his  companion. 


292  GASCOYNE, 

"  Because  I  am  pledged  to  give  myielf  up  to  jastice." 

"  No  ;  not  to  justice,"  replied  the  youth,  quickly.  "  You 
said  you  would  give  yourself  up  to  me  and  Mr.  Mason.  I 
for  one  wont  act  the  part  of  a  —  a  — " 

**  Thief-catcher,"  suggested  Gascoyne. 

"  Well,  put  it  so  if  you  will ;  and  I  am  certain  that  the 
missionary  will  not  have  anything  to  do  with  your  capture. 
He  will  say  that  the  ofUcers  of  justice  are  bound  to  attend 
to  such  matters.  It  would  be  perfectly  right  in  you  to  try 
to  escape." 

"  Ah,  Henry  !  your  feelings  have  warped  your  judg- 
ment," said  Gascoyne,  shaking  his  head.  "  It  is  strange 
how  men  will  prevaricate  and  deceive  themselves  when 
they  want  to  reason  themselves  into  a  wrong  course  or  out 
of  a  right  one.  But  what  you  or  Mr.  Mason  think  or  will 
do  has  nothing  to  do  with  my  course  of  action." 

"  But  the  law  holds,  if  I  mistake  not,  that  a  man  is  not 
bound  to  criminate  himself,"  said  Henry. 

"  I  know  not  and  care  not  what  the  law  of  man  holds," 
replied  the  other,  sadly.  "  I  have  forfeited  my  life  to  m^' 
country,  and  I  am  wilhng  to  lay  it  down." 

"  Nay,  not  your  life,"  said  Henry  ;  "  you  have  done  no 
murder." 

"Well,  then,  at  least  my  liberty  is  forfeited.  I  shall 
leave  it  to  those  who  judge  me  whether  my  life  shall  be 
taken  or  no.  I  sometimes  wish  that  I  could  get  away  to 
tome  distant  part  of  the  world,  and  there,  by  livmg  the 
life  of  an  honest  man,  try  to  undo,  if  possible,  a  little  of 
what  I  have  done.  But,  woe's  me,  wishes  and  regrets 
come  too  late.  No  ;  I  must  be  content  to  reap  what  I  have 
sown." 

•'  They  will  be  certain  to  hang  you,"  said  tlie  youth, 
bitterly. 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADEU.         293 

"  I  think  it  likely  they  will,"  replied  his  companion. 

"  And  would  you  call  that  justice  ? "  asked  Henry, 
pharply.  "  Whatever  punishment  you  may  deserve,  you 
do  not  deserve  to  die.  You  know  well  enough  that  your 
word  will  go  for  nothing,  and  no  one  else  can  bear  witness 
in  your  favor.  You  will  be  regarded  simply  as  a  noto- 
rious pirate.  Even  if  some  of  the  people  whose  lives  you 
have  spared  while  taking  their  goods  should  turn  up,  their 
testimony  could  not  prove  that  you  had  not  murdered 
others ;  so  your  fate  is  certain  if  you  go  to  trial.  Have 
you  any  right,  then,  to  compass  your  own  death  by  thus 
giving  yourself  up  ?  " 

"Ah,  boy,  your  logic  is  not  sound.'* 

"  But  answer  my  question,"  said  the  youth,  testily. 

"  Henry,  plead  with  me  no  longer,"  said  Gascoyne,  in  a 
deep,  stern  tone.  "  My  mind  is  made  up.  I  have  spent 
many  years  in  dishonesty  and  self-deception.  It  is  per- 
haps possible  that  by  a  life  devoted  to  doing  good  I  might 
in  the  long  run  benefit  men  more  than  I  have  damaged 
them.  This  is  just  possible,  I  say,  though  I  doubt  it ;  but 
I  have  promised  to  give  myself  up  whenever  this  cruise  is 
at  an  end,  and  I  wont  break  the  last  promise  I  am  likely 
to  give  in  this  world ;  so  do  not  attempt  to  turn  me,  boy." 

Henry  made  no  reply,  but  his  knitted  brows  and  com- 
pressed lips  showed  that  a  struggle  was  going  on  within 
him.     Suddenly  he  stood  erect,  and  said,  firmly : 

"  Be  it  so,  Gascoyne.  I  will  hold  you  to  your  promise. 
You  shall  not  escape  me  ! " 

With  this  somewhat  singular  reply,  Henry  left  his  sur- 
prised companion,  and  mingled  with  the  crowd  of  men  who 
stood  on  the  quarter-deck. 

A  light  breeze  had  now  sprung  up,  and  the  Foam  was 
gliding  rapidly  towards  the  island.     Gascoyne's  det^p  voice 


294  GASCOYNE, 

was  still  heard  at  intervals  issuing  a  word  of  command 
for,  as  he  knew  the  reefs  better  than  any  one  else  on  board, 
^Montague  had  intrusted  him  with  the  pilotage  of  the  ves- 
sel into  harbor. 

When  they  had  passed  the  barrier-reef,  and  were  sailing 
over  the  calm  waters  of  the  enclosed  lagoon  in  the  direc 
tion  of  Sandy  Cove,  the  young  officer  went  up  to  the  pi- 
rate captain  with  a  perplexed  air  and  a  degree  of  hesitation 
that  was  very  foreign  to  his  character. 

Gascoyne  flushed  deeply  when  he  observed  him.  "  I 
know  what  you  would  say  to  me,"  he  said,  quickly.  "  You 
have  a  duty  to  perform.     I  am  ready." 

"  Gascoyne,"  said  Montague,  with  deep  earnestness  of 
tone  and  manner,  "  I  would  willingly  spare  you  this,  but, 
as  you  say,  I  have  a  duty  to  perform.  I  would,  with  all 
my  heart,  that  it  had' fallen  to  other  hands.  Believe  me,  I 
appreciate  what  you  have  done  within  the  last  few  days, 
and  I  believe  what  you  have  said  in  regard  to  yourself 
and  your  career.  All  this,  you  may  depend  upon  it,  will 
operate  powerfully  with  your  judges.  But  you  know  I 
cannot  permit  you  to  quit  this  vessel  a/ree  man." 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Gascoyne,  calmly. 

"  And  —  and  — "  (here  Montague  stammered  and  came 
to  an  abrupt  pause). 

"  Say  on,  Captain  Montague.  I  appreciate  your  gener- 
osity in  feeling  for  me  thus ;  but  I  am  prepared  to  meet 
whatever  awaits  me." 

"It  is  necessary,"  resumed  Montague,  "that  you  be 
manacled  before  I  take  you  on  shore." 

Gascoyne  started.  He  had  not  thought  of  this.  He 
had  not  fully  realized  the  fact  that  he  was  to  be  deprived 
of  his  liberty  so  soon.  In  tlie  merited  indignity  which  was 
now  to  be  put  upon  him,  he  recognized  the  opening  act  of 
tlie  tragedy  which  was  to  terminate  with  his  life. 


The  sandal-wood  trader.  295 

"  Be  it  so,"  he  said,  lowering  liii  head,  and  sitting  down 
on  a  carronade,  in  order  to  avoid  the  gaze  of  those  who 
surrounded  liim. 

While  this  was  being  done,  the  youthful  Corrie  was  in 
the  fore  part  of  the  schooner  whispering  eagerly  to  Alice 
and  Poopy. 

"  O  Alice !  I've  seen  him  ! "  exclaimed  the  lad. 

"  Seen  who  ?  "  inquired  Alice,  raising  her  pretty  little 
eyebrows  just  the  smallest  morsel. 

"  "Why,  the  boatswain  of  the  Talisman,  Dick  Price,  you 
know,  who  jumped  overboard  to  save  Henry  when  he  fell 
off  the  raft.     Come,  I'll  point  him  out." 

So  saying,  Corrie  edged  his  way  through  the  crowd 
until  he  could  see  the  windlass.  Here,  seated  on  a  mas3 
of  chain  cable,  sat  a  remarkably  rugged  specimen  of  the 
British  boatswain.  He  was  extremely  short,  excessively 
broad,  uncommonly  jovial,  and  remarkably  hairy.  He 
wore  his  round  hat  so  far  on  the  back  of  his  head  that  it 
was  a  marvel  how  it  managed  to  hang  there,  and  smoked 
a  pipe  so  black  that  the  most  powerful  imagination  could 
hardly  conceive  of  its  ever  having  been  white,  and  so  shoii 
that  it  seemed  all  head  and  no  stem. 

"  That's  him  ! "  said  Corrie,  eagerly. 

"  Oh  !  is  it  ?  "  replied  Alice,  with  much  interest. 

"  Hee !  hee  !  "  observed  Poopy. 

"  Stand  by  to  let  go  the  anchor !  "  shouted  Montague. 

Instantly  bustle  and  noise  prevailed  everywhere.  The 
crew  of  the  lost  frigate  had  started  up  on  hearing  the 
order,  but  having  no  stations  to  run  to,  they  exjDcnded  the 
energy  that  had  been  awakened,  in  shufflii.g  about  and 
opening  an  animated  conversation  in  undertones. 

Soon  the  schooner  swept  round  the  point  that  ha  1  hith- 
erto 'shut  out  the  view  of  Sandy  Cove,  and  a  few  minutes 


296  GASCOYNE, 

later  tlie  rattling  of  the  chain  announced  that  the  voyage 
of  the  F  3am  had  terminated. 

Immediately  after,  a  boat  was  lowered,  and  Gascoyne 
was  conveyed  by  a  party  of  marines  to  the  shore,  and 
lodged  in  the  prison  which  had  been  but  recently  occupied 
by  our  friend  John  Bumpus. 

Mrs.  Stuart  had  purposely  kept  out  of  the  way  when 
she  heard  of  the  arrival  of  the  Foam.  She  knew  Gas- 
coyne so  well  that  she  felt  sure  he  would  succeed  in  re- 
capturing his  schooner.  But  she  also  knew  that  in  doing 
this  he  would  necessarily  release  Montague  from  his  cap- 
tivity, in  which  case  it  was  certain  that  the  pirate  captain, 
having  promised  to  give  himself  up,  would  be  led  on  shore 
a  prisoner.  She  could  not  bear  to  witness  this ;  but  no 
sooner  did  she  hear  of  his  being  lodged  in  jail  than  she 
prepared  to  visit  him. 

As  she  was  about  to  issue  from  her  cottage,  Henry  met 
her,  and  clasped  her  in  his  arms.  The  meeting  would 
have  doubtless  been  a  warmer  one  had  the  mother  known 
what  a  narrow  escape  her  son  had  so  recently  had.  But 
Mrs.  Stuart  was  accustomed  to  part  from  Henry  for  weeks 
at  a  time,  and  regarded  this  return  in  much  the  same  light 
as  former  home-comings,  except  in  so  far  as  he  had  news 
of  their  lost  friends  to  give  her.  She  welcomed  him  there- 
fore with  a  kiss  and  a  glad  smile,  and  then  hurried  him 
into  the  house  to  inquire  about  the  result  of  the  voyage. 

"  I  have  already  heard  of  your  success  in  finding  Alice 
and  our  friends.     Come,  tell  me  more." 

"  Have  you  heard  how  nearly  I  was  lost,  mother  ?  " 

"  Lost ! "  exclaimed  the  widow,  in  surprise  ;  "  no,  I  have 
heard  nothing  of  that." 

Henry  rapidly  narrated  liis  escape  from  the  wreck  of 
the  Wasp,  and  then,  looking  earnestly  in  his  mother's  anx 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.         297 

ious  face  lie  said,  slowly :  "  But  you  do  not  ask  for  Cxas- 
coyne,  mother.     Do  you  know  tliat  he  is  now  in  the  jail  ?  " 

The  widow  looked  perplexed.  "  I  know  it,"  said  she. 
"  I  was  just  going  to  see  him  when  you  came  in." 

"Ah,  mother,"  said  Henry,  reproachfully,  "why  did 
you  not  tell  me  sooner  about  Gascoyne  ?     I  —  " 

He  was  interrupted  here  by  Corrie  and  Alice  rushing 
mto  the  room,  the  latter  of  whom  threw  herself  into  the 
widow's  arms  and  burst  into  tears,  while  Master  Corrie 
indulged  in  some  eccentric  bounds  and  cheers  by  way  of 
relieving  his  feelings.  For  some  time  Henry  allowed 
them  to  talk  eagerly  to  each  other ;  then  he  told  Corrie 
and  Alice  that  he  had  something  of  importance  to  say  to 
Lis  mother,  and  led  her  into  an  adjoining  room. 

Corrie  had  overheard  the  words  spoken  by  Henry  just 
as  he  entered,  and  great  was  his  curiosity  to  know  what 
was  the  mystery  connected  with  the  pirate  captain.  This 
curiosity  was  intensified  when  he  heard  a  half-suppressed 
shriek  in  the  room  where  mother  and  son  were  closeted. 
For  one  moment  he  was  tempted  to  place  his  ear  to  the 
keyhole  !  But  a  blush  covered  his  fat  cheeks  at  the  very 
thought  of  acting  such  a  disgraceful  part.  Like  a  wise 
fellow,  he  did  not  give  the  tempter  a  second  opportunity, 
but,  seizing  the  hand  of  his  companion,  said : 

"  Come  along,  Alice  ;  we'll  go  seek  for  Bumpus." 

Half  an  hour  afterwards  the  widow  stood  at  the  jail 
door.  The  jailor  was  an  intimate  friend,  and  considerately 
retired  during  the  interview. 

"  O  Gascoyne  !  has  it  come  to  this  ?  "  She  sat  down 
beside  the  pirate,  and  grasped  one  of  his  manacled  hands 
in  both  of  hers. 

"  Even  so,  Mary  ;  my  hour  has  come.  I  do  not  com* 
^lai/i  of  my  doom.     I  have  brought  it  on  myself'' 


298  GASCOYNE, 

"  But  why  not  try  to  escape  ?  "  sail  Mrs.  Stuart,  ear- 
i.estly.  "  Tliere  are  some  here  who  could  aid  you  in  the 
matter." 

Here  the  widow  attempted  to  reason  with  Gascoyne,  as 
her  son  had  done  before,  but  with  similar  want  of  success. 
Gascoyne  remained  immovable.  He  did  indeed  betray 
deep  emotion  while  the  v/oman  reasoned  with  him,  in  tone? 
of  intense  earnestness  ;  but  he  would  not  change  his  mind. 
He  said  that  if  Montague,  as  the  representative  of  the 
law,  would  set  him  free  in  consideration  of  what  he  had 
recently  done,  he  v/ould  accept  of  liberty ;  but  nothing 
could  induce  liim  to  escape. 

Leaving  him  in  this  mode,  Mrs.  Stuart  hurried  to  the 
cottage  where  Montague  had  taken  up  his  abode. 

The  young  captain  received  her  kindly.  Having  learned 
from  Corrie  all  about  the  friendship  that  existed  between 
the  widow  and  Gascoyne,  he  listened  with  the  utmost  con- 
sideration to  her. 

"  It  is  impossible,"  said  he,  shaking  his  head  ;  "I  cannot 
set  him  free." 

"  Do  his  late  services  weigh  nothing  with  you  ?  "  pleaded 
the  widow. 

"My  dear  madam,"  replied  Montague,  sorrowfully,  "you 
forget  that  1  am  not  his  judge.  I  have  no  right  to  weigh 
the  circumstances  of  his  case.  He  is  a  convicted  and  sel^ 
acknowledged  pirate.  My  only  duty  is  to  convey  him  to 
England,  and  hand  him  over  to  the  officers  of  justice.  I 
sympathize  with  you,  indeed  I  do  ;  for  you  seem  to  take 
his  case  to  heart  very  much ;  but  I  cannot  help  you.  I 
must  do  my  duty.  The  Foam  will  be  ready  lor  sea  in  a 
few  days.     In  it  I  shall  convey  Gascoyne  to  England." 

"  O  Mr.  Montague  I  I  do  take  liis  case  to  heart,  as  you 
say,  and  no  one  on  this  earth  lias  more  cause  to  do  sa 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  299 

Will  it  interest  you  more  in  Gascoyne,  and  induce  you  to 
use  your  influence  in  his  favor,  if  I  tell  you  that  —  that— 
he  is  my  husband  ?  " 

"  Your  husband !  "  cried  Montague,  springing  up,  and 
pacing  the  apartment  with  rapid  strides. 

"  Ay,"  said  Mrs.  Stuart,  mournfully,  covering  her  face 
with  her  hands.  "  I  had  hoped  that  this  secret  would  die 
with  me  and  him ;  but  in  the  hope  that  it  may  help,  ever 
BO  little,  to  save  his  life,  I  have  revealed  it  to  you." 

*'  Believe  me,  the  secret  shall  be  safe  in  my  keeping," 
said  Montague,  tenderly,  as  he  sat  down  again,  and  drew 
his  chair  near  to  that  of  Mrs.  Stuart.  "  But,  alas  !  I  do 
not  see  how  it  is  possible  for  me  to  help  your  husband.  I 
will  use  my  utmost  influence  to  mitigate  his  sentence ;  but 
I  cannot,  I  dare  not  set  him  free." 

The  poor  woman  sat  pale  and  motionless  while  the  cap- 
tain said  this.  She  began  to  perceive  that  all  hope  was 
gone,  and  felt  despair  settling  down  on  her  heart. 

"  What  will  be  his  doom,"  said  she,  in  a  husky  voice, 
"  if  his  life  is  spared  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.  At  least  I  am  not  certain.  My 
knowledge  of  criminal  law  is  very  slight ;  but  I  should 
suppose  it  would  be  transportation  for  —  " 

Montague  hesitated,  and  could  not  find  it  in  his  heart 
to  add  the  word  "  life." 

Without  uttering  a  word,  Mrs.  Stuart  rose,  and,  stagger- 
ing from  the  room,  hastened  with  a  quick,  unsteady  step 
toward  her  own  cottage. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

A   PECULIAR   CONFIDANT  — MORE   DIFFICULTIES,   AND   VARIOUS 
PLANS   TO   OVERCOME   THEM. 

When  Alice  Mason  was  a  little  child,  there  was  a  cer- 
tain tree  near  her  father's  house  to  which,  in  her  hours  of 
sorrow,  she  was  wont  to  run  and  tell  it  all  the  grief  of  her 
overflowing  heart.  She  firmly  believed  that  this  tree 
heard  and  understood  and  sympathized  with  all  that  she 
said.  There  was  a  hole  in  the  stem  into  which  she  was 
wont  to  pour  her  complaints;  and  when  she  had  thus 
unburdened  her  heart  to  her  silent  confidant,  she  felt 
comforted,  as  one  feels  when  a  human  friend  has  shared 
one's  sorrows. 

When  the  child  became  older,  and  her  sorrows  were 
heavier,  and,  perhaps,  more  real,  her  well-nurtured  mind 
began  to  rise  to  a  higher  source  for  comfort.  Habit  and 
inclination  led  her  indeed  to  the  same  tree ;  but  when  she 
kneeled  upon  its  roots  and  leaned  against  its  stem,  she 
poured  out  her  heart  into  the  bosom  of  Him  who  is  ever 
present,  and  who  can  be  touched  with  a  feeling  of  our 
infirmities. 

Almost  immediately  after  landing  on  the  island,  Alice 
thought  the  umbrageous  shelter  of  her  old  friend  and  favor- 
ite, and  on  her  knees  thanked  God  for  restoring  her  to 
her  father  and  her  home. 

To  the  same  place  the  missionary  directed  his  steps ;  for 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  301 

he  knew  it  well,  and  doubtless  expected  to  find  his  daugh- 
ter there. 

"  Alice,  dear,  I  have  good  news  to  tell  you,"  said  the 
missionary,  sitting  down  beside  her. 

"  I  know  what  it  is  !  "  cried  Alice,  eagerly. 

"  What  do  you  think  it  is,  my  pet  ?  " 

"  Gascoyne  is  to  be  forgiven  !     Am  I  right  ?  " 

Mr.  Mason  shook  his  head  sadly.  "  No,  that  is  not 
what  I  have  to  tell  you.  Poor  fellow,  I  would  that  I  had 
some  good  news  to  give  you  about  him ;  but  I  fear  there 
is  no  hope  for  him,  —  I  mean  as  regards  his  being  par- 
doned by  man." 

Alice  sighed,  and  her  face  expressed  the  deepest  tender- 
ness and  sympathy. 

"  Why  do  you  take  so  great  an  interest  in  this  man, 
dear  ?  "  said  her  father. 

"Because  Mary  Stuart  loves  him,  and  I  love  Mary 
Stuart.  And  Corrie  seems  to  like  him,  too,  since  he  has 
come  to  know  him  better.  Besides,  has  he  not  saved  my 
life,  and  Captain  Montague's,  and  Corrie's  ?  Corrie  tells 
me  that  he  is  very  sorry  for  the  wicked  things  he  has 
done,  and  he  thinks  that  if  his  life  is  spared  he  will  become 
a  good  man.     Has  he  been  very  wicked,  papa  ?  " 

"  Yes,  very  wicked.  He  has  robbed  many  people  of 
their  goods,  and  has  burnt  and  sunk  their  vessels." 

Alice  looked  horrified. 

"  But,"  continued  her  father,  "  I  am  convinced  of  the 
truth  of  his  statement,  —  that  he  has  never  shed  human 
blood.  Nevertheless,  he  has  been  very  wicked,  and  the 
fact  that  he  has  such  a  powerful  will,  such  commanding 
and  agreeable  manners,  only  makes  his  guilt  the  greater ; 
for  there  is  less  excuse  for  his  having  devoted  such  powers 
and  qualities   to  the  service  of  Satan.     I  fear  that  liia 


302  GASCOYNE, 

iuJges  will  not  take  into  account  his  recent  good  deeds 
and  his  penitence.     Thej  will  not  pardon  him." 

"  Father,"  said  Alice,  earnestly,  *'  God  pardons  the 
chief  of  sinners  ;  why  will  not  man  do  so  ?  " 

The  missionary  was  somewhat  perplexed  as  to  how  he 
should  reply  to  such  a  difficult  question. 

"  My  child,"  said  he,  "  the  law  of  God  and  the  law  of 
man  must  be  obeyed,  or  the  punishment  must  be  inflicted 
on  the  disobedient :  both  laws  are  alike  in  this  respect. 
In  the  case  of  God's  law,  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  obeyed  it, 
bore  the  punishment  for  us,  and  set  our  souls  free.  But 
in  the  case  of  man's  law,  who  is  to  bear  Gascoyne's  pun- 
ishment and  set  him  free  ?  " 

As  poor  Alice  could  not  answer  this,  she  cast  down  her 
tearful  eyes,  sighed  again,  and  looked  more  miserable  than 
ever. 

"  But  come,  my  pet,"  resumed  Mr.  Mason,  "  you  must 
guess  again.     It  is  really  good  news,  —  try." 

"I  can't,"  said  Alice,  looking  up  in  her  father's  face 
with  animation  and  shaking  her  head.  "I  never  could 
guess  anything  rightly." 

"  What  would  you  think  the  best  thing  that  could  hap- 
pen ?  "  said  her  father. 

The  child  looked  intently  at  the  ground  for  a  few  seconds, 
and  pursed  her  rosy  little  mouth,  while  the  smallest  pos- 
sible frown  —  the  result  of  intellectual  exertion  —  knitted 
her  fair  brow. 

"  Tlie  best  thing  that  could  happen,"  said  she,  slowly, 
"  would  be  that  all  the  whole  world  should  become  good." 

"  Well  done,  Alice  I "  exclaimed  her  father,  laughing ; 
"  you  have  certainly  taken  the  widest  possible  view  of  the 
subject.  But  you  have  soared  a  little  too  high  ;  yet  you 
have  not  altogether  missed  the  mark.     What  would  you 


THE  SANDAL- WOOD  TRADER.         303 

Bay  if  the  chiefs  of  the  heathen  village  were  to  cast  their 
idols  iato  the  fire,  and  ask  me  to  come  over  and  teach 
them  how  to  become  Christians  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  have  they  reaUy  done  this  ?  "  cried  Alice,  in  eager 
surprise. 

"  Indeed  they  have.  I  have  just  seen  and  had  a  talk 
with  some  of  their  chief  men,  and  have  promised  to  go 
over  to  their  village  to-morrow.  I  came  up  here  just  to 
tell  you  this,  and  to  say  that  your  friend  the  widow  will 
take  care  of  you  while  I  am  away." 

"  And  shall  we  have  no  more  wars,  —  no  more  of  these 
terrible  deeds  of  blood  ?  "  inquired  the  child,  while  a  shud- 
der passed  through  her  frame  at  the  recollection  of  what 
she  had  heard  and  seen  during  her  short  life  on  that  island. 

"  I  trust  not,  my  lamb.  I  believe  that  God  has  heard 
our  prayers,  and  that  the  Prince  of  peace  will  henceforth 
rule  in  this  place.  But  I  must  go  and  prepare  for  this 
work.     Come,  will  you  go  with  me  ?  " 

"  Leave  me  here  for  a  little,  papa ;  I  wish  to  think  it 
over  all  alone." 

Kissing  her  forehead,  the  missionary  left  her.  When  he 
was  out  of  sight  the  little  girl  sat  down,  and,  nestling  be- 
tween two  great  roots  of  her  favorite  tree,  laid  her  head 
against  the  stem  and  shut  her  eyes. 

But  poor  Alice  was  not  left  long  to  her  solitary  medita- 
tions. There  was  a  peculiarly  attractive  power  about  her 
which  drew  other  creatures  around  her,  wherever  she 
might  chance  to  be. 

The  first  individual  who  broke  in  upon  her  was  that 
animated  piece  of  ragged  door-mat,  Toozle.  This  imbecile  lit- 
tle dog  was  not  possessed  of  much  delicacy  of  feeling.  Hav- 
ing been  absent  on  a  private  excursion  of  his  own  into  the 
mountain  when  the  schooner  arrived,  he  only  became  awai'a 


S04  GASCOYNE, 

of  the  return  of  his  lost,  loved,  and  deeply-regi*etted  mis- 
tress, when  he  came  back  from  his  trip.  The  first  thing 
that  told  him  of  her  presence  was  his  own  nose,  the  black 
point  of  which  protruded  with  difficulty  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  beyond  the  mass  of  matting  which  totally  extinguished 
his  eyes,  and,  indeed,  every  other  portion  of  his  head. 

Coming  down  the  hill  immediately  behind  Sandy  Cove 
at  a  breakneck  scramble,  Toozle  happened  to  cross  the 
path  by  which  his  mistress  had  ascended  to  her  tree.  The 
instant  he  did  so,  he  came  to  a  halt  so  sudden  that  one 
might  have  fancied  he  had  been  shot.  In  another  moment 
he  was  rushing  up  the  hill  in  wild  excitement,  giving  an 
occasional  yelp  of  mingled  surprise  and  joy  as  he  went 
along.  The  footsteps  led  him  a  little  beyond  the  tree,  and 
then  turned  down  towards  it,  so  that  he  had  the  benefit  of 
the  descent  in  making  the  final  onset. 

The  moment  he  came  in  sight  of  Alice  he  began  to  bark 
and  yelp  in  such  an  eager  way  that  the  sounds  produced 
might  be  described  as  an  intermittent  scream.  He  charged 
at  once  with  characteristic  want  of  consideration,  and, 
plunging  headlong  into  Alice's  bosom,  sought  to  cover  her 
face  with  kisses ;  that  is,  with  licks,  that  being  the  well- 
known  canine  method  of  doing  the  thing ! 

"  O  Toozle  I  how  glad,  glad,  glad,  I  am  to  see  you !  my 
own  darling  Toozle !  "  cried  Alice,  actually  shedding  tears. 

Toozle  screamed  with  delight.  It  was  almost  too  much 
for  him.  Again  and  again  he  attempted  to  lick  her  face, 
a  familiai'ity  which  Alice  gently  declined  to  permit ;  so  he 
was  obliGjed  to  content  himself  with  her  hand. 

It  has  often  struck  us  as  surprising,  that  little  dogs  — 
usually  so  intelligent  and  apt  to  learn  in  other  matters  — 
should  be  so  dull  of  apprehension  in  this.  Toozle  had  the 
experience  of  a  lifetime  to  convince  him  that  Alice  ob* 


THE  SANDAL-T700D  TRADEPw.  305 

jected  to  have  her  face  licked,  and  would  on  no  account 
permit  it,  although  she  was  extremely  liberal  in  regard  to 
her  hands ;  but  Toozle  ignored  the  authority  of  experience. 
He  was  at  this  time  a  dog  of  mature  years ;  but  his  deter- 
mination to  kiss  Alice  was  as  strong  as  it  had  been  when, 
in  the  tender  years  of  his  infancy,  he  had  entertained  the 
mistaken  belief  that  she  was  his  own  mother. 

He  watched  every  unguarded  moment  to  thrust  forward 
his  black,  not  to  say  impertinent,  little  snout ;  and  although 
often  reproved,  he  still  remained  unconvinced,  resolutely 
returned  to  the  charge,  and  was  not  a  bit  ashamed  of  him- 
self. 

On  the  present  occasion,  Toozle  behaved  like  a  canine 
lunatic,  and  Alice  was  beginning  to  think  of  exercising  a 
little  tender  violence  in  order  to  restrain  his  superabundant 
glee,  when  another  individual  appeared  on  the  scene,  and 
for  a  time,  at  least,  relieved  her. 

The  second  comer  was  our  dark  friend,  Kekupoopi. 
She  by  some  mischance  had  got  separated  from  her  young 
mistress,  and  immediately  went  in  search  of  her.  She 
found  her  at  once,  of  course ;  for,  as  water  finds  its  level,  so 
love  finds  its  object,  without  much  loss  of  time. 

"  O  Toozle !  —  hee !  hee  I  —  am  dat  you  ?  "  exclaimed 
Poopy,  who  was  as  much  delighted  in  her  way  to  see  the 
dog  as  Alice  had  been. 

Toozle  was,  in  his  way,  as  much  delighted  to  see  Poopy 
as  he  had  been  to  see  Alice; — no,  we  are  wrong,  not  quite 
so  much  as  that,  but  still  extremely  glad  to  see  her,  and 
evinced  his  joy  by  extravagant  sounds  and  actions.  He 
also  evinced  his  scorn  for  the  opinion  that  some  foolish 
persons  hold,  namely,  that  black  people  are  not  as  good  as 
white,  by  rushing  into  Poopy 's  arms  and  attempting  to  lick 
her  black  face  as  he  had  tried  to  do  to  Alice.  As  the 
20 


306  GASCOTNE, 

dark-skinned  girl  had  no  objection  (for  tastes  differ,  you 
sec),  and  received  the  caresses  with  a  quiet  ^'Hee!  hee!" 
Toozle  was  extremely  gratified. 

Now,  it  happened  that  Jo  Bumpus,  oppressed  with  a 
feeling  of  concern  for  his  former  captain,  and  with  a  feeling 
of  doubt  as  to  the  stirring  events  in  which  he  was  an  actor 
being  waking  realities,  had  wandered  up  the  mountain-side 
in  order  to  indulge  in  profound  philosophical  reflections. 

Happening  to  hear  the  noise  caused  by  the  joyful  meet- 
ing which  we  have  just  described,  he  turned  aside  to  see 
what  all  the  "  row  "  could  be  about,  and  thus  came  unex- 
pectedly on  Alice  and  her  friends. 

About  the  same  time  it  chanced  (for  things  sametimes 
do  happen  by  chance  in  a  very  remarkable  way),  it  chanced 
that  Will  Corrie,  being  also  much  depressed  about  Gas- 
coyne,  resolved  to  take  into  his  confidence  Dick  Price,  the 
boatswain,  with  whom  during  their  short  voyage  together 
he  had  become  intimate. 

He  found  that  worthy  seated  on  a  cask  at  the  end  of 
the  rude  pile  of  coral  rocks  that  formed  the  quay  of  Sandy 
Cove,  surrounded  by  some  of  his  shipmates,  all  of  whom, 
as  well  as  himself,  were  smoking  their  pipes  and  discussing 
things  in  general. 

Corrie  went  forward  and  pulled  Dick  by  the  sleeve. 

"Hallo,  boy!  what  do  you  want  with  me?"  said  the 
boatswain. 

"  I  want  to  speak  to  you." 
■     "Well,  lad,  fire  away." 

"  Yes,  but  I  want  you  to  come  with  me,"  said  the  boy, 
with  an  anxious  and  rather  mysterious  look. 

"  Very  good  —  heave  ahead,"  said  the  boatswain,  get- 
ting up,  and  following  Corrie  with  a  peculiarly  nautical 
roll. 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  307 

After  Jie  had  been  led  through  the  settlement  and  a 
considerable  way  up  the  mountain  in  silence,  the  boatswain 
suddenly  stopped,  and  said :  "  Hallo  !  hold  on  ;  my  timbers 
wont  stand  much  more  o'  this  sort  o'  thing.  I  was  built 
for  navigatin'  the  seas,  —  I  was  not  for  cruisin'  on  the  land. 
We're  far  enough  out  of  ear-shot,  I  s'pose,  in  this  here  bit 
of  a  plantation.  Come,  what  have  ye  got  <o  say  to  me  ? 
You  aint  a  goin'  to  tell  me  the  Freemason's  word,  are  ye  ? 
For,  if  so,  don't  trouble  yourself ;  I  wouldn't  listen  to  it  on 
no  account  w'atever.     It's  too  mysterious,  that  is,  for  me." 

"  Dick  Price,"  said  Corrie,  looking  up  in  the  face  of  the 
seaman,  with  a  serious  expression  that  was  not  often  seen 
on  his  round  countenance,  "  you're  a  man." 

The  boatswain  looked  down  at  the  youthful  visage  in 
some  surprise. 

"  Well,  I  s'pose  I  am,"  said  he,  stroking  his  beard  com- 
placently. 

"  And  you  know  what  it  is  to  be  misunderstood,  mis- 
judged, don't  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  now  I  come  to  think  on  it,  I  believe  I  have  had 
that  misfortune  —  'specially  w'en  I've  ordered  the  powder- 
monkies  to  make  less  noise ;  for  them  younkers  never  do 
seem  to  understand  me.  As  for  misjudgin',  I've  often  an' 
over  again  heard  'em  say  I  was  the  crossest  feller  they 
ever  did  meet  with ;  but  they  never  was  more  out  in  their 
reckoning." 

Corrie  did  not  smile;  he  did  not  betray  the  smallest 
symptom  of  power  either  to  appreciate  or  to  indulge  in 
jocularity  at  that  moment.  But  feeling  that  it  was  useless 
to  appeal  to  the  former  experience  of  the  boatswain,  he 
changed  his  plan  of  attack. 

"  Dick  Price,"  said  he,  "  it's  a  hard  case  for  an  innocent 
man  to  be  hanged." 


o08  GASCOYNE, 

"So  it  is,  boy,  -  -  oncommon  hard.  I  once  kiiow'd  a 
poor  feller  as  was  hanged  for  murderin'  his  old  grandmo- 
ther. It  was  afterwards  found  out  that  he  never  done  the 
deed ;  but  he  was  the  most  incorrigible  thief  and  poacher 
in  the  whole  place ;  so  it  wasn't  such  a  mistake,  after  all.'* 

"  Dick  Price,"  said  Corrie,  gravely,  at  the  same  time 
laying  his  hand  impressively  on  his  companion's  arm,  "  I'm 
a  tremendous  joker  —  awful  fond  o'  fun  and  skylarkin'." 

"  'Pon  my  word,  lad,  if  you  hadn't  said  so  yourself,  I'd 
scarce  have  believed  it.  You  don't  look  like  it  just  now, 
by  no  manner  o'  means." 

"  But  I  am,  though,"  continued  Corrie  ;  '•  and  I  tell  you 
that  in  order  to  show  you  that  I  am  very,  very  much  in 
earnest  at  this  moment,  and  that  you  must  give  your  mind 
to  what  I've  got  to  say." 

The  boatswain  was  impressed  by  the  fervor  of  the  boy. 
He  looked  at  him  in  surprise  for  a  few  seconds,  then  nod- 
ded his  head,  and  said,  "  Fire  away ! " 

"  You  know  that  Gascoyne  is  in  prison  !  "  said  Corrie, 

"  In  course  I  does.  That's  one  rascally  pirate  less  on 
the  seas,  anyhow." 

"  He  is  not  so  bad  as  you  think,  Dick." 

"  Whew ! "  whistled  the  boatswain.  "  You're  a  friend 
of  his,  are  ye  ?  " 

"  No,  not  a  friend  ;  but  neither  am  I  an  enemy.  You 
know  he  saved  my  life,  and  the  lives  of  two  of  my  friends, 
and  of  your  own  captain,  too." 

"  TVell,  there's  no  denying  that;  but  he  must  have  been 
the  means  of  takin'  away  more  lives  than  what  he  has 
saved." 

"  No,  he  hasn't,"  cried  Corrie,  eagerly.  "  That's  it, 
that's  just  the  point ;  he  has  saved  more  than  ever  he  took 
away,  and  he's  sorry  for  what  he  has  done ;  yet  they're 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  309 

going  to  hang  him.  Now,  1  say,  that's  sinful  —  ii's  not 
just.  It  shan't  be  done,  if  I  can  prevent  it ;  and  you  must 
lielp  me  to  get  him  out  of  this  scrape,  —  you  must,  indeed, 
Dick  Price." 

The  boatswain  was  quite  taken  aback»  He  opened  his 
eyes  wide  with  surprise,  and,  putting  his  head  to  one  side, 
gazed  earnestly  and  long  at  the  boy,  as  if  he  had  been  a 
rai'e  old  painting. 

Before  he  could  reply,  the  furious  barking  of  a  dog  at- 
tracted Corrie's  attention.  He  knew  it  to  be  the  voice  of 
Toozle.  Being  well  acquainted  with  the  locality  of  Alice's 
tree,  he  at  once  concluded  that  she  was  there  ;  and  knowing 
that  she  would  certainly  side  with  him,  and  that  the  side 
she  took  must  necessarily  be  the  winning  side,  he  resolved 
to  bring  Dick  Price  within  the  fascination  of  her  mfluence. 

"  Come,  follow  me,*'  said  he  ;  "  we'll  talk  it  over  with  a 
friend  of  mine." 

The  seaman  followed  the  boy  obediently,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  stood  beside  Alice. 

Corrie  had  expected  to  find  her  there,  but  he  had  not 
counted  on  meeting  with  Poopy  and  Jo  Bumpus. 

'*  Hallo,  Grampus  !  is  that  you  ?  " 

"  Wot !  Corrie,  my  boy,  is  it  yourself  ?  Give  us  your 
flipper,  small  though  it  be.  I  didn't  think  I'd  niver  see  ye 
agin,  lad." 

"  No  more  did  I,  Grampus ;  it  was  very  nearly  all  up 
with  us." 

"  Ah,  my  hoj !  "  said  Bumpus,  becoming  suddenly  very 
grave,  "  you've  no  notion  how  near  it  was  all  up  with  me. 
Why,  you  wont  believe  it,  I  was  all  but  scragged." 

"  Dear  me  !  what  is  scragged  ?  "  inquired  Alice. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you  don'\  know  !  "  exclaimed 
Bumpus. 


310  GASCOYNE 

«No,  indeed,  I  don't." 

"  Why,  it  means  beni'  hanged.  I  was  so  near  hanged, 
just  a  daj  or  two  back,  that  I've  liad  an  'orrible  pain  in  ray 
neck  ever  since  at  the  bare  thought  of  it  !  But  who's 
your  friend  ?  "  said  Bumpus,  turning  to  the  boatswain. 

"  Oh  !  I  forgot  him,  —  he's  the  boatswain  of  the  Talis- 
man.    Dick  Price,  this  is  my  friend  John  Bumpus." 

"  Glad  to  know  you,  Dick  Price. 

"  Same  to  you,  and  luck,  John  Bumpus." 

The  two  sea-dogs  joined  their  enormous  palms,  and 
shook  hands  cordially. 

After  these  two  had  indulged  in  a  little  desultory  con- 
Tersation,  Will  Corrie,  who,  meanwhile,  consulted  with 
Alice  in  an  undertone,  brought  them  back  to  the  point 
that  was  uppermost  in  his  mind. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  it  comes  to  this,  -—  we  must  not  let 
Gascoyne  be  hanged." 

"  Why,  Corrie  !  "  cried  Bumpus,  in  surprise,  "  that's  the 
very  thing  I  was  a-thinkin'  of  w'en  I  corned  up  here  and 
found  Miss  Alice  under  the  tree." 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  that,  Jo  ;  it's  w^hat  has  been  on  my 
own  mind  all  the  morning.  But  Dick  Price,  he  is  not  con- 
vinced that  he  deserves  to  escape.  Now  you  tell  him  all 
you  know  about  Gascoyne,  and  I'll  tell  him  all  /  know ; 
and  if  he  don't  believe  us,  Alice  and  Poopy  will  tell  him 
all  they  know ;  and  if  that  wont  do,  you  and  I  will  take  him 
up  by  the  legs  and  pitch  him  into  the  sea !  " 

"  That  bein'  how  tht,  case  stands,  fire  away,"  said 
Dick  Price,  with  a  gi'in,  sitting  down  on  the  grass  and 
busily  filling  his  pipe. 

Dick  was  not  so  hard  to  be  convinced  as  Corrie  had 
feared.     The  glowing  eulogiums  of  Bumpus,  and  the  ear- 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  311 

nest  pleadings  of  Alice,  won  him  over  very  soon.  lie 
finally  agreed  to  become  one  of  the  conspirators. 

"  But  how  is  the  thing  to  be  done  ?  "  asked  Corrie,  in 
some  perplexity. 

"Ah!  that's  the  p'int,"  observed  Dick,  looking  profoundly 
wise. 

"  Nothin*  easier,"  said  Bumpus,  whose  pipe  was  by  this 
time  keeping  pace  with  that  of  his  new  friend.  "  The  case 
is  as  clear  as  mud.  Here's  how  it  is.  Gascoyne  is  in 
limbo ;  well,  we  are  out  of  limbo.  Good.  Then,  all  we've 
got  for  to  do  is  to  break  into  limbo  and  shove  Gascoyne 
out  of  limbo,  and  help  him  to  escape.  It's  all  square,  you 
see,  lads." 

"Not  so  square  as  you  seem  to  think,"  said  Henry 
Stuart,  who  at  that  moment  stepped  from  behind  the  stem 
of  the  tree,  which  had  prevented  the  party  from  observing 
his  approach. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  said  Bumpus,  making  room  for  the  young 
man  to  sit  beside  Alice  on  the  grass. 

"  Because,"  said  Henry,  "  Gascoyne  wont  agree  to  es- 
cape." 

"  Not  agree  for  to  escape  !  " 

"  No.  If  the  prison  doors  were  opened  at  this  moment, 
he  would  not  walk  out." 

Bumpus  became  very  grave,  and  shook  his  head.  "  Ar( 
ye  sartin  sure  o'  this  ?  "  said  he. 

"  Quite  sure,"  replied  Henry,  who  now  detailed  part  of 
his  recent  conversation  with  the  pirate  captain. 

"  Then  it's  all  up  with  him  !  "  said  Bumpus ;  "  and  the 
pirate  will  meet  his  doom,  as  I  once  heard  a  feller  say 
in  a  play  —  though  I  little  thought  to  see  it  acted  in  re- 
ality." 

"  So  he  will,"  added  Dick  Price. 


312  GASCOTNE. 

Corrie's  countenance  fell,  and  Alice  grew  pale.  Even 
Poopy  and  Toozle  looked  a  little  depressed. 

"  No  ;  it  is  not  all  up  with  him,"  cried  Henry  Stuart,  en- 
ergetically. "  I  have  a  plan  in  my  head  which  I  think  will 
succeed,  but  I  must  have  assistance.  It  wont  do,  however, 
to  discuss  this  before  our  young  friends.  I  must  beg  of 
Alice  and  Poopy  to  leave  us.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  I 
could  not  trust  you,  Alice,  but  the  plan  must  be  made 
known  only  to  those  who  have  to  act  in  this  matter.  Rest 
assured,  dear  child,  that  I  shall  do  my  best  to  make  it  suc- 
cessful." 

Alice  sprang  up  at  once.  "  My  father  told  me  to  follow 
him  some  time  ago,"  said  she.  "  I  have  been  too  long  of 
doing  so  already.     I  do  hope  you  wiU  succeed." 

So  saying,  and  with  a  cheerful  "  Goodby  ! "  the  little 
girl  ran  down  the  mountam-side,  closely  followed  by 
Toozle  and  Poopy. 

As  soon  as  she  was  gone,  Henry  turned  to  his  compan- 
ions and  unfolded  to  them  his  plan,  —  the  details  and  car- 
rying out  of  which,  however,  we  must  reserve  for  another 
chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

BUMPUS   IS  PERPLEXED  —  MYSTERIOUS   COMMUNINGS,  AND    k 
CURIOUS  LEAVE-TAKING. 

"  It's  a  puzzler,"  said  Jo  Bumpus  to  himself,  —  for  Jo 
was  much  in  the  habit  of  conversing  with  himself;  and  a 
very  good  habit  it  is,  one  that  is  often  attended  with  much 
profit  to  the  individual,  when  the  conversation  is  held 
upon  right  topics  and  in  a  proper  spirit,  —  "  it's  a  puzzler, 
it  is  ;  that's  a  fact." 

Having  relieved  his  mind  of  this  observation,  the  sea* 
man  proceeded  to  cut  down  some  tobacco,  and  looked  re- 
markably grave  and  solemn  as  if  "  it "  were  not  only  a 
puzzler,  but  an  alarmingly  serious  puzzler. 

"  Yes,  it's  the  biggest  puzzler  as  ever  I  comed  across," 
said  he,  filling  his  pipe ;  for  John,  when  not  roused,  got 
on  both  mentally  and  physically  by  slow  stages. 

"  Niver  know'd  its  equal,"  he  continued,  beginning  to 
smoke,  which  operation,  as  the  pipe  did  not  "  draw  "  well 
at  first,  prevented  him  from  saying  anything  more. 

It  was  early  morning  when  Bumpus  said  all  this,  and 
the  mariner  was  enjoying  his  morning  pipe  in  a  reclining 
attitude  on  the  grass  beneath  Alice  Mason's  favorite  tree, 
from  which  commanding  position  he  gazed  approvingly  on 
the  magnificent  prospect  of  land  and  sea  which  lay  before 
him,  bathed  in  the  light  of  the  rising  sun. 

"  It  is  werj-  koorious,"  continued  John,  taking  his  pipe 


314  GASCO^TfE, 

out  of  his  mouth  and  addressing  himself  to  it  with  much 
grav  ty  —  "  loery  koorious.  Things  always  seems  wot  they 
isn't,  and  turns  out  to  be  wot  they  didn't  appear  as  if  they 
wasnt ;  werry  odd  indeed,  it  is !  Only  to  think  that  this 
here  sandal-wood  trader  should  turn  out  for  to  be  Henry's 
father  and  the  widow's  mother,  —  or,  I  mean,  the  widow's 
husband,  —  an'  a  pirate,  an'  a  deliverer  o'  little  boys  and 
girls  out  o'  pirates'  hands,  —  his  own  hands,  so  to  speak,  — 
not  to  mention  captings  in  the  Royal  Navy,  an'  not  sich  a 
bad  feller  after  all,  as  wont  have  his  liberty  on  no  account 
wotiver,  even  if  it  was  gived  to  him  for  nothin',  and  yet 
wot  can't  get  it  if  he  wanted  it  iver  so  much  ;  and  to  think 
that  Jo  Bumpus  should  come  for  to  lend  hisself  to  — 
Hallo  !  Jo,  back  yer  tops'ls  !  Didn't  Henry  tell  ye  that 
ye  wasn't  to  convarse  upon  that  there  last  matter  even 
with  yerself,  for  fear  o'  bein'  overheai'd  and  sp'ilin'  the 
whole  affair  ?     Come,  I'll  refresh  myself." 

The  refreshment  in  which  Jo  proposed  to  indulge  was 
of  a  peculiai*  kind  wluch  never  failed  him,  —  it  was  the 
perusal  of  Susan's  love-letter. 

He  now  sat  up,  drew  forth  the  precious  and  much-soiled 
epistle,  unfolded  and  spread  it  out  carefully  on  his  knees, 
placed  his  pipe  very  much  on  one  side  of  his  mouth,  ia 
order  that  the  smoke  might  not  interfere  with  his  vision, 
and  began  to  read. 

"  '  Peeler's  Farm,'  —  ah  !  Susan,  darlin',  it's  Jo  Bumpus 
as  would  give  all  he  has  in  the  world,  includin'  his  Sunday 
clo's,  to  be  anchored  alongside  o*  ye  at  that  same  farm !  — 
*  Sarifransko.'  I  misdoubt  the  spellin'  o'  that  word,  Susan, 
dear ;  it  seems  to  me  raither  short,  as  if  ye'd  docked  olT 
its  tail.  Ilowsomdever  —  '  For  John  bumjmss ' —  O  Susan, 
Susan  !  if  ye'd  only  remember  the  big  B,  and  there  ain't 
two  esses.     I'm  sure  it's  not  for  want  o'  teiiin'  ye,  but  ye 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  315 

was  nevei  great  in  the  way  ov  memiy  or  spellin*.  Pr'aps 
it's  as  well.  Ye'd  ha'  bin  too  perfect,  an'  that's  not  desira- 
ble by  no  means,  — '  my  darlin'  Jo^ —  ay,  them's  the  words. 
It's  that  as  sets  my  'art  a  b'ilin'  over  like." 

Here  Jo  raised  his  eyes  from  the  letter,  and  revelled 
silently  in  the  thought  for  at  least  two  minutes,  during 
which  his  pipe  did  double  duty  in  half  its  usual  time. 
Then  he  recurred  to  his  theme ;  but  some  parts  he  read  in 
silence,  and  without  audible  comment. 

"  Ay,"  said  he,  '  sandle-wood  skooners,  the  Haf  ov  thems 
pirits  ' — ■  so  they  is,  Susan.  It's  yer  powers  o'  prophesy 
as  amazes  me ;  '  an'  The  other  hafs  no  beter ; '  a  deal  wus, 
Susun,  if  ye  only  know'd  it.  Ah  !  my  sweet  gal,  if  ye 
knew  wot  a  grief  that  word  *  beter '  was  to  me  before  I 
diskivered  wot  it  wos,  ye'd  try  to  improve  yer  hand  o* 
write,  an'  make  fewer  blots !  " 

At  this  point  Jo  was  arrested  by  the  sound  of  footsteps 
behind  him.  He  folded  up  his  letter  precipitately,  thrust 
it  into  his  left  breast-pocket,  and  jumped  up  with  a  guilty 
air  about  him. 

"  Why,  Bumpus  !  we  have  startled  you  out  of  a  morning 
nap,  I  fear,"  said  Henry  Stuart,  who,  accompanied  by  his 
mother,  came  up  at  that  moment.  "  We  are  on  our  way 
to  say  goodby  to  Mr.  Mason.  As  we  passed  this  knoll  I 
caught  sight  of  you,  and  came  up  to  ask  about  the  boat." 

"It's  all  right,"  said  Bumpus,  who  quickly  recovered 
his  composure,  —  indeed,  he  had  never  lost  much  of  it. 
"  I've  bin  down  to  Saunder's  store  and  got  the  ropes  for 
your  —  " 

"  Hush,  man  !  there  is  no  need  of  telling  what  they  are 
for,"  said  Heniy,  with  a  mysterious  look  at  his  mother. 

"  Why  n«>t  tell  me  all,  Henry : "  said  Mrs.  Stuart ; 
**  surely,  you  can  trust  me  ?  '* 


81 G  gascoy:?^, 

"  Trust  you,  mother  ! "  replied  the  yc  nth,  with  a  smile. 
•^  I  should  think  so  ;  but  there  are  reasons  for  my  not  tell- 
ing you  everything  just  now.  Surely,  you  can  trust  me  ? 
I  have  told  you  as  much  as  I  think  advisable  in  the  mean- 
time.    Ere  long  I  will  tell  you  all." 

Tlie  widow  sighed,  and  was  fain  to  rest  content.  She 
gat  down  beside  the  tree,  while  her  companions  talked  to- 
gether, apart,  in  low  tones. 

"  Now  Jo,  my  man,"   continued   Henry,  "  one  of  our 
friends  must  be  got  out  of  the  way." 
"  Wery  good  ;  I'm  the  man  as'll  do  it." 
"  Of  course  I  don't  mean  that  he's  to  be  killed  ! " 
"  In  coorse  not.     Who  is  he  ?  " 
"  Ole  Thorwald." 

"  Wot !  the  descendant  o'  the  Sea  Kings,  as  he  calls 
himself  ? " 

"  The  same,"  said  Henry,  laughing  at  the  look  of  sur- 
prise with  which  Bumpus  received  this  information. 
"  Wliat  has  he  bin  an'  done?  " 

"  He  has  done  notliing  as  yet,"  said  Henry ;  "  but  he 
will  certainly  thwart  our  schemes  if  he  hears  of  them. 
He  has  an  inveterate  ill-will  to  my  poor  father  (Henry 
lowered  his  voice  as  he  proceeded),  and  I  know  has  sus- 
picions that  we  are  concocting  some  plan  to  enable  him  to 
escape,  and  watches  us  accordingly.  I  find  him  constantly 
hanging  about  the  jail.  Alas  !  if  he  knew  how  thoroughly 
determined  Gascoyne  is  to  refuse  deliverance  unless  it 
comes  from  the  proper  source,  he  would  keep  his  mind 
more  at  ease." 

"  Don't  you  think  if  you  wos  to  tell  him  that  Ga?coyne 
ii  yer  father  he  would  side  with  us  ?"  suggested  Bumpus. 
"  Perhaps  he  would.     I  fJcink  he  would  ;  but  I  dare  not 
risk  it.     T)ic  ea-ier  method  will  be  to  outwit  him." 


TIIE  SiNDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  317 

"  Not  an  easy  tliiug  for  to  do,  I'm  afraid ;  for  he's  a 
;ute  old  fell  ir.     How  is  it  to  be  done  ? "  asked  Bumpus. 

"By  telling  him  the  truth,"  said  Henry;  "and  you 
must  tell  it  to  him." 

"  Well,  that  is  a  koorious  way,"  said  Bumpus,  with  a 
broad  grin. 

"  But  not  the  whole  truth,"  continued  Hemy.  "  You 
must  just  tell  him  as  much  as  it  is  good  for  him  to  know, 
and  nothing  more  ;  and  as  the  thing  must  be  done  at  once, 
I'll  tell  you  what  you  have  got  to  say." 

Here  the  young  man  explained  to  the  attentive  Bumpus 
the  course  that  he  was  to  follow,  and,  having  got  him 
thoroughly  to  understand  his  part,  he  sent  him  away  to 
execute  it.  Meanwhile  he  and  his  mother  went  in  search  of 
Mr.  Mason,  who  at  the  time  was  holding  a  consultation  with 
the  chiefs  of  the  native  village,  near  the  site  of  his  burnt 
cottage.  The  consultation  had  just  been  concluded  when 
they  reached  the  spot,  and  the  missionary  was  conversing 
with  the  native  carpenter  who  superintended  the  erection 
of  his  new  home. 

After  the  morning  greeting,  and  a  few  words  of  general 
conversation,  Mrs.  Stuart  said :  "  We  have  come  to  talk 
with  you  in  private  ;  will  you  walk  to  Alice's  tree  with  us  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  my  friend ;  I  hope  no  new  evils  are  about 
to  befall  us,"  said  the  missionary,  who  was  startled  by  the 
serious  countenances  of  the  mother  and  son ;  for  he  was 
ignorant  of  the  close  relation  in  which  they  stood  to  Gas- 
coyne,  as,  indeed,  was  every  one  else  in  the  settlement, 
excepting  Montague  and  his  boatswain  and  Corrie,  all  of 
whom  were  enjoined  to  maintain  the  strictest  secrecy  on 
the  point. 

«JSo;  I  tliank  God,  all  is  well,"  replied  Mrs.  Stuart; 
*  but  we  ha'  e  come  to  say  that  we  are  going  away," 


iilS  GASCOYNE, 

"  Going  away  !  "  echoed  the  missionary,  in  surprif€ 
*^  When  !  —  where  to  ?  —  why  ?     You  amaze  me,  Mary." 

"  Henry  will  explain." 

"  The  fact  is,  Mr.  Mason,"  said  Henry,  "  circumstances 
require  my  absence  from  Sandy  Cove  on  a  longer  trip 
than  usual,  and  I  mean  to  take  my  mother  with  me.  In- 
deed, to  be  plain  with  you,  I  do  not  think  it  likely  that 
we  shall  return  for  a  long  time,  perhaps  not  at  all ;  and  it 
is  absolutely  necessary  that  we  should  go  secretly.  But 
we  could  not  go  without  saying  goodby  to  you." 

"  We  owe  much  to  you,  dear  Mr.  Mason,"  cried  the 
widow,  grasping  the  missionary's  hand  and  kissing  it. 
"  We  can  never,  never  forget  you ;  and  will  always  pray 
for  God's  best  blessings  to  descend  on  you  and  yours." 

"  This  is  overwhelming  news  ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Mason, 
who  had  stood  hitherto  gazing  from  the  one  to  the  other 
in  mute  astonishment.  "  But,  tell  me,  Mary"  (here  he 
spoke  in  earnest  tones),  "  is  not  Gascoyne  at  the  bottom 
of  this  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Mason,"  said  Henry,  "  we  never  did,  and  never 
will  deceive  you.  There  is  a  good  reason  for  neither 
asking  nor  answering  questions  on  this  subject  Just  now. 
I  am  sure  you  know  us  too  well  to  believe  that  we  think 
of  doing  what  is  wrong,  and  you  can  trust  us  —  at  least  my 
mother  —  that  we  will  not  do  what  is  foolish." 

"  I  have  perfect  confidence  in  your  hearts,  my  dear 
friends,"  replied  Mr.  Mason  ;  "  but  you  will  forgive  me  if 
I  express  some  doubt  as  to  your  ability  to  judge  between 
riglit  and  wrong  when  youi*  feelings  are  deeply  moved,  as 
they  evidently  are,  from  some  cause  or  other,  just  now. 
Can  you  not  put  confidence  in  me  ?  I  can  keep  a  secret, 
and  may,  perliaps,  give  you  good  counsel." 

"  No,  no,"  said  Henry,  emphatically ;  "  it  wil'  not  Uo  to 


THE  SANDALWOOD  Xr.ADER.  319 

involve  you  in  our  affairs.  It  would  not  be  right  ia  U3 
just  710W  to  confide  even  in  you.  I  cannot  explain  why  — 
you  must  accept  the  simple  assurance  in  the  meantime. 
Wherever  we  go,  we  can  communicate  by  letter,  and  I 
promise,  ere  long,  to  reveal  all." 

"  Well,  I  will  not  press  you  further ;  but  I  will  commend 
you  in  prayer  to  God.  1  do  not  like  to  pai-t  thus  hurriedly, 
however.     Can  we  not  meet  again  before  you  go  ?  " 

"  We  shall  be  in  the  cottage  at  four  this  afternoon,  and 
will  be  very  glad  if  you  will  come  to  us  for  a  short  time," 
said  the  widow. 

"That  is  settled,  then;  I  will  go  and  explain  to  the 
natives  that  I  cannot  accompany  them  to  the  village  till  to- 
morrow.    When  do  you  leave  ?  " 

«  To-night." 

"  So  soon !     Surely  it  is  not But  I  forbear  to  say 

more  on  a  subject  which  is  forbidden.  God  bless  you,  my 
friends ;  we  shall  meet  at  four.     Goodby ! " 

The  missionary  turned  from  them  with  a  sad  counte- 
nance, and  went  in  search  of  the  native  chiefs;  while 
Henry  and  his  mother  separated  from  each  other,  the 
former  taking  the  path  that  led  to  the  little  quay  of  Sandy 
Cove,  the  latter  that  which  conducted  to  her  own  cottage. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

MORS    LEAVE-TAKING  —  DEEP  DESIGNS  —  BUMPCS  IN  A  NEW 
CAPACITT. 

On  the  particular  day  of  which  we  are  writing,  Alice 
Mason  felt  an  unusual  depression  of  spirits.  She  had  been 
told  bj  her  father  of  the  intended  departure  of  the  widow 
and  her  son,  and  had  been  warned  not  to  mention  it  to  any 
one.  In  consequence  of  this,  the  poor  child  was  debarred 
her  usual  consolation  of  pouring  her  grief  into  the  black 
bosom  of  Poopy.  It  naturally  followed,  therefore,  that 
she  sought  her  next  favorite,  —  the  tree. 

Here,  to  her  surprise  and  comfort,  she  found  Corrie, 
seated  on  one  of  its  roots,  with  his  head  resting  on  the 
stem,  and  his  hands  clasped  before  him.  His  general  ap- 
pearance was  that  of  a  human  being  in  the  depths  of  woe 
On  observing  Alice,  he  started  up,  and  assuming  a  cheer- 
ful look,  ran  to  meet  her. 

"  Oh  !  I'm  so  glad  to  find  you  here,  Corrie,"  cried  Alice, 
hastening  forward  ;  "  I'm  in  such  distress  !    Do  you  know 

that Oh !  I  forgot  papa   said  I  was  to  tell  nobody 

about  it ! " 

"  Don't  let  that  trouble  you,  Alice,"  said  Corrie,  as  they 
sat  down  together  under  the  tree.  "  I  know  what  you  were 
about  to  say,  —  Henry  and  his  mother  are  going  away." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?  I  thought  it  was  a  great 
•ecret ! " 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  321 

"  So  it  is,  a  tremendous  secret/*  rejoined  Corrle,  with  a 
look  that  was  intended  to  be  very  mysterious  ;  "  and  1 
know  it,  because  I've  been  let  into  the  secret,  for  reasons 
which  I  cannot  tell  even  to  you.  But  there  is  another 
secret  which  you  don't  know  yet,  and  which  will  surprise 
you,  perhaps,     /am  going  away,  too." 

"  You ! "  exclaimed  the  little  girl,  her  eyes  dilating  to 
their  full  size. 

«Ay  — me!" 

"  You're  jesting,  Corrie." 

"  Am  I  ?    I  wish  I  was  ;  but  it's  a  fact." 

"  But  where  are  you  going  to  ?  "  said  Alice,  her  eyes 
filling  with  tears. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  Corrie ! " 

"  I  tell  you,  I  don't  know  ;  and  if  I  did  know,  I  couldn't 
tell.  Listen,  Alice  ;  I  will  tell  you  as  much  as  I  am  per- 
mitted to  let  out." 

The  boy  became  extremely  solemn  at  this  point,  took 
the  little  girl's  hand,  and  gazed  into  her  face  as  he  spoke. 

"  You  must  know,"  he  began,  "  that  Henry  and  hi3 
mother  and  I  go  away  to-night  —  " 

"  To-night  ?  "  cried  Alice,  quickly. 

"To-night,"  repeated  the  boy.  "Bumpus  and  Jakolu 
go  with  us.  I  have  said  that  I  don't  know  where  we  are 
going  to,  but  I  am  pretty  safe  in  assuring  you  that  we  are 
going  somewhere.  Why  we  are  going  I  am  forbidden  to 
tell,  —  divulge,  I  think  Henry  called  it;  but  what  that 
means  I  don't  know.  I  can  only  guess  it's  another  Avord 
for  tell ;  and  yet  it  can't  be  that  either,  for  you  can  speak  of 
telling  lu^s,  but  you  can't  speak  of  divulging  them.  How- 
ever, thai  don't  matter.  But  I'm  not  forbidden  to  tell  you 
why  ^  «>n  going  away.     la  the  first  place,  then,  I'm  going 


822  GASCOYNE, 

to  seek  my  fortune !  Where  I'm  to  find  it  remai  as  to  be 
seen.  The  only  thing  I  know  is,  that  I  mean  to  find  it 
somewhere  or  other,  and  then  "  (here  Corrie  became  very 
impressive)  "  come  back  and  live  beside  you  and  your 
father,  —  not  to  sjoeak  of  Poopy  and  Toozle." 

Alice  smiled  sadly  at  this.  Corrie  looked  graver  than 
ever,  and  went  on  : 

"  Meanwhile,  during  my  absence  I  will  write  letters  to 
you,  and  you'll  write  ditto  to  me.  I  am  going  away  be- 
cause I  ought  to  go  and  be  doing  something  for  myself. 
You  know  quite  well  that  I  would  rather  stop  beside  you 
than  go  anywhere  in  this  wide  world,  Alice;  but  that 
would  be  stupid.  I'm  getting  to  be  a  man  now,  and 
mustn't  go  on  showin'  the  weaknesses  of  a  boy.  In  the 
second,  or  third  place,  —  I  forget  which,  but  no  matter,  — 
I  am  going  with  Henry,  because  I  could  not  go  with  a  bet- 
ter man  ;  and  in  the  fourth  —  if  it's  not  the  fifth  —  place, 
I'm  going  because  Uncle  Ole  Thorwald  has  long  wished 
me  to  go  to^  sea ;  and,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  would  have 
gone  long  ago  had  it  not  been  for  you,  Ahce.  There's 
only  one  thing  that  bothers  me."  Here  Corrie  looked  at 
his  fair  companion  with  a  perplexed  air. 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  asked  Alice,  sympathetically. 

"  It  is  that  I  must  go  without  saying  goodby  to  Uncle 
Ole.  I  am  very  sorry  about  it.  It  will  look  so  ungrateful 
10  him  ;  but  it  carCt  be  helped." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  inquired  Alice.  "  If  he  has  often  said 
he  wished  you  to  go  to  sea,  would  he  not  be  delighted  to 
hear  that  you  are  going  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  but. he  must  not  know  that  I  am  going  to-night, 
and  with  Henry.  Stuart."  ^ 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

*'  Ah  !  that's  the  point.      Mystery  !  Alice  —  mystery  ! 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  323 

"Vfhai  a  world  of  mystery  this  is !  "  observed  the  precocious 
Corrie,  shaking  his  head  with  profound  solemnity.  "  I've 
been  involved  (I  think  that's  the  word),  rolled  up,  drowned, 
and  buried  in  mystery  for  more  than  three  weeks,  and  I'm 
beginning  to  fear  that  I'll  never  again  git  into  the  unmyste- 
riously  happy  state  in  which  I  lived  before  this  abomina- 
ble man-of-war  came  to  the  island.  No,  Alice  ;  I  dare  not 
say  anything  more  on  that  point,  even  to  jou,just  now. 
But  wont  I  give  it  you  all  in  my  first  letter  ?  and  wont 
you  open  your  eyes  until  they  look  like  two  blue  saucers  ? ' 

Further  conversation  between  the  friends  was  inter- 
rupted at  this  point  by  the  inrushing  of  Toozle,  followed  up 
by  Poopy,  and,  a  short  time  after,  by  Mr.  Mason,  who 
took  Alice  away  with  him,  and  left  poor  Corrie  disconso- 
late. 

While  this  was  going  on,  John  Bumpus  was  fulfilling 
bis  mission  to  Ole  Thorwald. 

He  found  that  obstinate  individual  in  his  own  parlor, 
deep  in  the  investigation  of  the  state  of  his  books  of 
business,  which  had  been  allowed  to  fall  into  arrears  during 
his  absence. 

"  Come  in,  Bumpus.  So  I  hear  you  were  half-hanged 
when  we  were  away." 

Ole  wheeled  round  on  his  stool,  and  hooked  his  thumbs 
into  the  armholes  of  his  vest,  as  he  said  this,  leaned  his 
back  against  his  desk,  and  regarded  the  seaman  with  a 
facetious  look. 

"  JHalf-hsinged,  indeed !  "  said  Bumpus,  indignantly.  "  I 
was  more  than  half —  three-quarters,  at  least.  Why,  the 
worst  of  it's  over  w'en  the  rope's  round  you  r  neck." 

"  That  is  a  matter  v/ hich  you  can't  speak  to,  John  Bum- 
pus, seeing  that  you've  never  gone  beyond  the  putting  of 
the  rtf  pe  round  your  neck." 


824  GASCOYNE, 

"  Well,  I'm  content  with  wot  I  does  happen  to  know 
about  it,''  remarked  Jo,  making  a  wry  face ;  "  an'  I  hope 
that  I'll  never  git  the  chance  of  knowin'  more.  But  I 
comed  here  on  business,  Mr.  Thorwald  "  (here  John  be- 
came mysterious,  and  put  his  finger  to  his  lips.  "  I've 
comed  here,  Mr.  Thorwald,  to  —  split'' 

As  Ole  did  not  quite  understand  the  meaning  of  this 
word,  and  did  not  believe  that  the  seaman  actually  meant 
to  rend  himself  from  head  to  foot,  he  said,  "  Why,  Bum- 
pus  !  what  d'ye  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  as  how  that  I've  comed  to  spht  on  my  com- 
rades ;  w'ich  means,  I'm  goin'  to  tell  upon  'em." 

"  Oh  !  "  exclaimed  Ole,  eyeing  the  man  wdth  a  look  of 
distrust. 

"  Yes,"  pursued  Bumpus  ;  I'm  willin'  to  tell  ye  all  about 
it,  and  prevent  his  escape,  if  you'll  only  promise,  on  your 
word  as  a  gin'lmun,  that  ye  wont  tell  nobody  else  but  six 
niggers,  who  are  more  than  enough  to  sarve  your  turn." 

"  Prevent  whose  escape  ?  "  said  Thorwald,  with  an  ex- 
cited look. 

"  Gascoyne's." 

Ole  jumped  off  his  stool,  and  hit  his  left  palm  a  sounding 
blow  with  his  right  fist. 

"  I  knew  it !  "  he  exclaimed,  staring  into  the  face  of  the 
seaman.  "  I  was  sure  of  it !  I  said  it !  But  how  d'ye 
know,  my  man  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  I'll  not  say  another  word  if  ye  don't  promise  Uy 
let  me  go  free,  and  only  take  six  niggers  with  ye." 

"  Well,  Bumpus,  I  do  promise,  on  the  w^ord  of  a  true 
Norseman,  which  is  much  better  than  that  of  a  gentleman, 
that  no  harm  shall  come  lo  you  if  you  tell  me  all  you  know 
of  this  matter.  But  I  will  promise  nothing  more ;  because 
if  you  wont  tell  me,  you  ha-  e  told  me  enough  lo  enable 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  325 

me  to  take  such  measures  as  will  prevent  Gascojne  from 
escaping." 

"  No,  ye  can't  prevent  it,"  said  Bumpus,  witli  an  air  of 
indifference.  "  If  you  don't  choose  to  come  to  ray  way  o' 
thinkin',  ye  can  take  yer  own  coorse.  But,  let  me  tell  you, 
there's  more  people  on.  the  island  that  will  take  Gascoyne's 
part  than  ye  think  of.  There's  the  whole  crew  of  the 
Talisman,  whose  cap'n  he  saved,  and  a  lot  besides ;  an'  if 
ye  do  come  to  a  fight  about  it,  ye'U  have  a  pretty  tough 
scrimmage.  Ther'll  be  blood  spilt,  Mr.  Thorwald,  an'  it 
was  partly  to  prevent  that  as  I  comed  here  for.  But  you 
know  best.  You  better  take  yer  own  way,  an'  I'll  take 
mine." 

The  cool  impudence  of  manner  with  which  John  Bumpua 
said  tliis  had  its  effect  on  Ole,  who,  although  fond  enough 
of  fighting  against  enemies,  had  no  sort  of  desire  to  fight 
against  friends,  especially  for  the  sake  of  a  pirate. 

"  Come,  Bumpus,"  said  he,  "  you  and  I  understand  each 
other.  Let  us  talk  the  thing  over  calmly.  I've  quite  as 
much  objection  to  see  unnecessary  bloodshed  as  you  have. 
We  have  had  enough  of  that  lately.  Tell  me  what  you 
know,  and  I  promise  to  do  what  you  recommend  as  far  as 
I  can  in  reason." 

"  Do  you  promise  to  let  no  one  else  know  wot  I  tell 
ye  ?  " 

"  I  do." 

"  An'  d'ye  promise  to  take  no  more  than  six  niggers  to 
prewent  this  escape  ?  '* 

"  Will  six  be  enough  ?  " 

"  Plenty ;  but,  if  that  bothers  ye,  say  twelve,  —  I'm  not 
partic'lar,  —  say  twelve.  That's  more  than  enor^gh ;  for 
they'll  only  have  four  'x)  fight  with." 

"  Well,  I  promise  thit  too." 


326  GASCOYNE, 

"  Good.  Now  I'll  tell  ye  all  about  it,"  said  Bumpus. 
"  You  see,  although  I'm  splittin',  I  don't  want  to  gtt  my 
friends  into  trouble,  and  so  I  got  you  to  promise  ;  an'  1 
trust  to  yer  word,  Mr.  Thorwald  —  you  being  a  gen'lmun 
This  is  how  it  is :  Young  Henry  Stuart  thinks  that  al- 
though Gascoyne  is  a  pirate,  or  rather  was  a  pirate,  he. 
don't  deserve  to  be  hanged.  Cause  why  ?  Firstly,  he 
never  committed  no  murder  ;  secondly,  he  saved  the  lives 
o'  some  of  your  people  —  Alice  Mason  among  the  rest ; 
and,  thirdly,  he  is  an  old  friend  o'  the  family  as  has  done 
'em  good  sarvice  long  ago.  So  Henry's  made  up  his  mind 
that,  as  Gascoyne's  sure  to  be  hanged  if  he's  tried,  it's  his 
duty  to  prewent  that  there  from  happenin'  of  Now,  ye 
see,  Gascoyne  is  quite  willin'  to  escape  — " 

"  Ha !  the  villain ! "  exclaimed  Ole  ;  "  I  was  sure  of 
that.  I  knew  well  enough  that  all  his  smoothed-tongued 
humility  was  hypocrisy.  I'm  sorry  for  Henry,  and  don't 
wish  to  thwart  him ;  but  it's  clearly  my  duty  to  prevent 
this  escape  if  I  can." 

"  So  I  think,  sir,"  said  Bumpus  ;  "  so  I  think.  That's 
just  w'at  I  said  to  meself  w'en  I  made  up  my  mind  for  to 
split.  Gascoyne  bein'  willin',  then,  Henry  has  bribed  the 
jailer,  and  he  intends  to  open  the  jail  door  for  him  at 
twelve  o'clock  this  night,  and  he'll  know  w'at  to  do  with 
his  legs  w'en  he's  got  'em  free." 

"  But  how  am  I  to  prevent  his  escape  if  I  do  not  set  a 
strong  guard  over  the  prison  ?  "  exclaimed  Ole,  in  an  exci- 
ted manner.  "  If  he  once  gets  into  the  mountains,  I  miglit 
as  well  try  to  catch  a  hare." 

"  All  fair  and  softly,  Mr.  Thorwald.  Don't  take  on  to. 
It  ain't  two  o'clock*  yet ;  we've  lots  o'  time.  Henry  has 
arranged  to  get  a  boat  ready  for  him.  At  twelve  o'clock 
to-night  the  doors  will  be  opened,  and  he'll  start  for  the 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER  327 

boat.  It  will  lie  concealed  among  the  rocks  off  the  Long 
Point.  There's  no  mistakin'  the  spot,  just  west  of  the 
village ;  an'  if  you  place  your  niggers  there,  you'll  have 
IS  good  chance  as  need  be  to  nab  'em.  Indeed,  there's 
two  boats  to  be  in  waitin'  for  the  pirate  captain  and  his 
friends  —  set  'em  up  !  " 

"  And  where  is  the  second  boat  to  be  hidden  ?  "  asked 
Ole. 

"  I'm  not  sure  of  the  exact  spot ;  but  it  can't  be  very  far 
off  from  the  tother,  cer'nly  not  a  hundred  miles,"  said 
Bumpus,  with  a  grin.  "  Now,  wot  I  want  is,  that  if  ye  get 
hold  of  the  pirate  ye'll  be  content,  an'  not  go  an'  peach  on 
Henry  an'  his  comrades.  They'll  be  so  ashamed  o'  them- 
selves at  bein'  nabbed  in  the  wery  act  that  they'll  give  it 
up  as  a  bad  job.  Besides,  ye  can  then  go  an'  give  him  in 
charge  of  Capting  Montague.  But  if  ye  try  to  prewent 
the  escape  bein'  attempted,  Henry  will  take  the  bloody 
way  of  it ;  for  I  tell  you,  his  birse  is  up,  an'  no  mistake.'* 

"  How  many  men  are  to  be  with  Gascoyne  ? "  asked 
Thorwald,  who,  had  he  not  been  naturally  a  stupid  man, 
must  have  easily  seen  through  this  clumsy  attempt  to  blind 
him. 

"  Just  four,"  answered  Bumpus  ;  "  an'  I'm  to  be  one  of 
'em." 

**  Well,  Bumpus,  I'll  take  your  advice.  I  shall  be  at 
the  Long  Point  before  twelve,  with  a  dozen  niggers,  and 
I'll  count  on  you  lending  us  a  hand." 

"  No,  ye  mustn't  count  on  that,  Mr.  Thorwald.  Surely, 
it's  enough  if  I  run  away  and  leave  the  others  to  fight." 

"  Very  weU ;  do  as  you  please,"  said  Thorwald,  with  a 
look  of  contempt. 

"  Good-day,  Mr.  Thorwald.  You'll  be  sure  to  be  there  ?  " 

"  Trust  me." 


328  GASCOYNE. 

"  An'  you'll  not  a  word  about  it  to  nobody  ?  " 

"  Not  a  syllable." 

"That's  all  square.  You'll  see  the  boat  w'en  ye  git 
there,  and  as  long  as  ye  see  that  boat  yer  all  right.  Good- 
day,  sir." 

John  Bumpus  left  Thorwald's  house  chuckling,  and 
weuded  his  way  to  the  widow's  cottage,  whistling  the 
"  Groves  of  Blarney." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  AMBUSH— -THE   ESCAPE  —  KETRIBUTIVE   JUSTICE  —  AND 
CONCLUSION. 

An  hour  before  the  appointed  time,  Ole  Thorwald,  under 
cover  of  a  dark  night,  stole  out  of  his  own  dwelling,  with 
slow  and  wary  step,  and  crossed  the  little  plot  of  ground 
that  lay  in  front  of  it,  with  the  sly  and  mysterious  air  of  a 
burglar  rather  than  that  of  an  honest  man. 

Outside  his  gate  he  was  met  in  the  same  cautious  man- 
ner by  a  dark-skinned  human  being,  the  character  of  whose 
garments  was  something  between  those  of  a  sailor  and  a 
West  India  planter.  This  was  Sambo,  Thorwald's  major- 
domo,  clerk,  overseer,  and  right-hand  man.  Sambo  was 
not  his  proper  name ;  but  his  master,  regarding  him  as 
being  the  embodiment  of  all  the  excellent  qualities  that 
could  by  any  possibility  exist  in  the  person  of  a  South  Sea 
islander,  had  bestowed  upon  him  the  generic  name  of  the 
dark  race,  in  addition  to  that  wherewith  Mr.  Mason  had 
gifted  him  on  the  day  of  his  baptism. 

Sambo  and  his  master  exchanged  a  few  words  in  low 
whispers,  and  then  gliding  down  the  path  that  led  from 
the  stout  merchant's  house  to  the  south  side  of  the  village, 
they  entered  the  woods  that  lined  the  shore,  like  two  men 
bent  on  a  purpose  which  might  or  might  not  be  of  the 
blackest  possible  kind. 

"  I  don't  half  like  this  sort  of  work,  Sambo,"  observed 


830  gascotot:, 

Thorwald,  speaking  and  treading  with  less  caution  as  they 
left  the  settlement  behind  them.  "  Ambushments,  surprises, 
and  night  forages,  especially  when  they  include  Goat's 
Passes,  don't  suit  me  at  all.  I  have  a  strong  antipathy  to 
everything  in  the  way  of  warfare,  save  a  fair  field,  and  no 
favor,  under  the  satisfactory  light  of  the  sun." 

"  Ho !  "  said  Sam1>o,  quietly  ;  as  much  as  to  say,  "  I  hear 
and  appreciate,  but  having  no  observation  to  make  in  reply, 
I  wait  for  more  from  your  honored  lips." 

"  Now,  you  see,"  pursued  Thorwald,  "  if  I  were  to  fol- 
low my  own  tastes,  which,  it  seems  to  me,  I  am  destined 
not  to  be  allowed  to  do  any  more  in  the  affairs  of  this 
world,  if  I  may  judge  by  the  events  of  the  past  month,  — 
if  I  were  to  follow  my  own  tastes,  I  say,  I  would  go  boldly 
to  the  prison  where  this  pestiferous  pirate  captain  lies,  put 
double  irons  on  him,  and  place  a  strong  guard  round  the 
building.  In  this  case  I  would  be  ready  to  defend  it 
against  any  odds,  and  would  have  the  satisfaction  of  stand- 
ing up  for  the  rights  of  the  settlement  like  a  man,  and  of 
hurling  defiance  at  the  entire  British  navy,  at  least  such 
portions  of  it  as  happens  to  be  on  the  island  at  this  time, 
if  they  were  to  attempt  a  rescue  —  as  this  Bumpus  hinta 
they  are  likely  to  do.  Yet  it  seems  to  me  strange  and  un- 
accountable that  they  should  thus  interest  themselves  in  a 
vile  pirate.  I  verily  believe  that  I  have  been  deceived ; 
but  it  is  too  late  now  to  alter  my  plans,  or  to  hesitate. 
Truly,  it  seemeth  to  me  that  I  might  style  myself  an  ass, 
without  impropriety." 

"  Ho !  "  remarked  Sambo  ;  and  the  grin  with  which  the 
remark  was  accompanied  seemed  to  imply  that  he  not 
only  appreciated  his  master's  sentiment,  but  agreed  with  it 
entirely. 

"  You've  got  eleven  men,  I  trust.  Sambo  ?  '* 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  331 

"  Yes,  mass'r." 

"  All  good  and  true,  I  hope,  —  men  who  can  be  trusted 
both  in  regard  to  their  fighting  qualities  and  their  ability 
to  hold  their  tongues  ?  " 

"  Dumb  as  owls,  ebery  von,"  returned  Sambo. 

"  Good !  You  see,  mj  man,  I  must  not  permit  that  fel- 
low to  escape  ;  at  the  same  time  I  do  not  wish  to  blazon 
abroad  that  it  is  mj  friend  Henry  Stuart  who  is  helping 
him.  Neither  do  I  wish  to  run  the  risk  of  killing  my 
friends  in  a  scrimmage,  if  they  are  so  foolish  as  to  resist 
me;  therefore  I  am  particular  about  the  men  you  have 
told  off  for  this  duty.  Where  did  you  say  they  are  to  meet 
us?" 

"  Close  by  de  point,  mass'r." 

A  few  minutes'  walk  brought  them  to  the  point,  where 
the  men  were  awaiting  them.  As  far  as  Ole  could  judge, 
by  the  dim  light  of  a  few  stars  that  struggled  through  the 
cloudy  sky,  they  were  eleven  as  stout  fellows  as  any  war- 
rior could  desire  to  have  at  his  back  in  a  hand-to-hand 
conflict.  They  were  all  natives,  clothed  much  in  the 
same  manner  as  Sambo,  and  armed  with  heavy  clubs  ;  for, 
as  we  have  seen,  Thorwald  was  resolved  that  this  should 
be  a  bloodless  victory. 

"  Whereabouts  is  the  boat  ?  "  whispered  Ole  to  his  hench- 
man, as  he  groped  his  way  down  the  rocky  slopes  toward 
the  shore. 

"  'Bout  two  hondr'd  yards  more  farder  in  front,"  said 
Sambo. 

"  Then  I'll  place  the  men  here,"  said  Ole,  turning  to  the 
aatives,  who  were  following  close  at  his  heels.  "  Now, 
boys,  remain  under  cover  of  this  rock  till  I  lead  you  on  to 
the  attack;  and,  mind  what  I  say  to  you,  —  no  HlUng ! 
Some  of  the  partj  are  mj^  friends;  d'ye  understand?     I 


332  GASCOTNE, 

don't  want  to  do  them  a  damage  ;  but  I  do  want  to  prevent 
tlieir  letting  off  as  great  a  villain,  I  believe,  as  ever  sailed 
the  ocean  under  a  black  flag  —  only  his  was  a  red  one, 
because  of  his  extreme  bloody-mindedness;  no  doubt,  which 
led  him  to  adopt  the  color  of  blood.  We  will  attack  them 
in  the  rear ;  which  means,  of  course,  by  surprise  ;  though  I 
must  confess  that  style  of  "svarfare  goes  much  against  the 
grain  with  me.  There  are  just  four  men,  I  am  told,  besides 
the  pirate.  Our  first  onset  will  secure  the  fall  of  at  least 
two  of  the  party  by  my  own  cudgel ;  and,  mark  me,  lads,  I 
don't  say  this  in  the  spirit  of  boasting.  He  would  indeed 
be  but  a  poor  warrior  who  could  not  fell  two  men  when  he 
took  them  unawares  and  in  the  dark.  No ;  I  feel  half 
ashamed  o'  the  work  ;  but  I  suppose  it  is  my  duty.  So  you 
see  there  will  be  just  two  men  and  the  pirate  left  for  us  to 
deal  with.  Four  of  you  ought  to  be  able  to  overcome  the 
two  men  without  drawing  blood,  except,  it  may  be,  a  little 
surface  fluid.  The  remaining  nine  of  us  v/ill  fall  on  the 
pirate  captain  in  a  body.  You  will  easily  know  him  by 
his  great  size  ;  and  I  have  no  manner  of  doubt  but  that  he 
will  make  himself  further  known  by  the  weight  of  his 
blows.  If  I  happen  to  fall,  don't  look  after  me  till  you 
have  overcome  and  bound  the  pirate.  The  ropes  are  all 
ready,  and  my  man  Sambo  will  cany  them." 

Having  delivered  this  address  to  his  followers,  who  by 
their  "  Ho's  "  and  grins  indicated  their  perfect  readiness 
to  do  as  they  were  bid,  Ole  Thorwald  left  them  in  ambush, 
and  groped  his  way  down  to  the  beach,  accompanied  by 
Sambo. 

"  Did  you  bring  the  chain  and  padlock.  Sambo  ?  " 

"  Yis,  mass'r.  But  you  no  tink  it  am  berer  to  take  boat 
away  —  [)ull  him  out  ob  sight?  " 

"  No,  Sambo ;  I  have  thought  on  tliat  subject  already, 


TJE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  33.3 

aud  Iia^e  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  better  to  let  the 
boat  remain.  You  see  they  have  placed  it  in  such  a  way 
that  as  long  as  daylight  lasted  it  could  be  seen  from  the 
settlement,  and  even  now  it  is  visible  at  some  distance,  as 
you  see.  If  we  were  to  remove  it,  they  would  at  once 
observe  that  it  was  gone,  and  thus  be  put  on  their  guard. 
No,  no,  Sambo.  I  may  not  be  fond  of  ambushments,  but 
I  flatter  myself  that  I  have  some  talent  for  such  matters." 

The  master  and  servant  had  reached  the  beach  by  this 
time,  where  they  found  the  boat  in  the  exact  position  that 
had  been  indicated  by  John  Bumpus.  It  lay  behind  a  low 
piece  of  coral  rock,  fastened  to  an  iron  ring  by  means  of 
a  rope,  while  the  oars  lay  in  readiness  on  the  thwarts. 

Sambo  now  produced  a  heavy  iron  chain,  with  which  the 
boat  was  speedily  fastened  to  the  ring.  It  was  secured 
with  a  large  padlock,  the  key  of  which  Ole  placed  in  his 
pocket. 

This  being  satisfactorily  accomplished,  they  returned  to 
the  place  of  ambush. 

"  Now,  Mister  Gascoyne,"  observed  Thorwald,  with  a 
grim  smile,  as  he  sat  down  beside  his  men  and  pulled  out 
his  watch,  "I  will  await  your  pleasure.  It  is  just  half- 
past  eleven ;  if  you  are  a  punctual  man,  as  Jo  Br.mpus 
led  me  to  believe,  I  will  try  your  metal  in  half  an  hour, 
and  have  you  back  in  your  cage  before  one  o'clock  !  What 
say  you  to  that,  Sambo  ?  " 

The  faithful  native  opened  his  huge  mouth  wide,  and 
shut  his  eyes,  thereby  indicating  that  he  laughed ;  but 
he  said  nothing,  bad,  good,  or  indificrent,  to  his  master's 
facetious  ob^er\aiion.  The  other  natives  also  grinned,  in 
a  quiet  but  particularly  knowing  manner,  after  which  the 
whole  party  relapsed  into  profound  silence,  and  kept  theii 


834  GASCOYNE, 

midnigLt  watcL  Avitli  exemplary  patience  and  eager  ex- 
pectcition. 

At  this  same  hour  the  pirate  captain  was  seated  in  his 
cell  on  the  edge  of  the  low  bedstead,  with  his  elbows  rest- 
ing on  his  knees  and  his  face  buried  in  his  hands. 

The  cell  was  profoundly  dark,  —  so  dark  that  the  figure 
of  the  prisoner  could  scarcely  be  distinguished. 

Gascoyne  did  not  move  for  many  minutes ;  but  once  or 
twice  a  deep  sigh  escaj)ed  him,  showing  that,  although  his 
body  was  at  rest,  his  thoughts  were  busy.  At  last  he 
moved,  and  clasped  his  hands  together  violently,  as  if  under 
a  strong  impulse.  In  doing  so,  the  clank  of  his  chains 
echoed  harshly  through  the  cell.  This  seemed  to  change 
the  current  of  his  thoughts  ;  for  he  again  covered  his  face 
with  both  hands,  and  began  to  mutter  to  himself. 

"  Ay,"  said  he,  "  it  has  come  at  last.  How  often  I  have 
di-eamed  of  this  when  I  was  free  and  roaming  over  the 
wide  ocean !  I  would  say  that  I  have  been  a  fool  did  I 
not  feel  that  I  have  more  cause  to  bow  my  head  and  con- 
fess that  I  am  a  sinner.  Ah,  what  a  thing  pride  is !  How 
little  do  men  know  what  it  has  cost  me  to  humble  myself 
before  them  as  I  have  done  !  yet  I  feel  no  shame  in  con- 
fessmg  it  here,  where  I  am  all  alone.  Alone  ?  —  am  I. 
alone  ?  " 

For  a  long  time  Gascoyne  sat  in  deep  silence,  as  if  he 
were  following  out  the  train  of  thought  which  had  been 
suggested  by  the  last  words.  Presently  his  ideas  again 
found  vent  in  muttered  speech. 

"  In  my  pride  I  have  said  that  there  is  no  God.  I  don't 
think  I  ever  believed  that ;  but  I  tried  to  believe  it,  for  I 
knew  that  my  deeds  were  evil.  Surely  my  own  words 
will  condemn  me;  for  I  have  said  that  I  think  myself  a 
fool,  and  does  not  <he  Bible  sav  that  '  the  fool  hath  said  in 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TR\DER.  335 

liis  heart  there  is  no  God  ?  '  Ay,  I  remember  it  well  The 
words  were  printed  in  my  brain  when  I  learned  the  Pslaras 
of  David  at  my  mother's  knee,  long,  long  ago.  My  mother! 
what  bitter  years  have  passed  since  that  day  !  How  little 
did  ye  dream,  mother,  that  your  child  would  come  to  this! 
God  help  me  !  " 

The  pirate  relapsed  into  silence,  and  a  low  groan  es- 
caped him.  But  his  thoughts  seemed  too  powerful  to  be 
restrained  within  his  breast;  for  they  soon  broke  forth 
again  in  words. 

"  Your  two  texts  have  come  true.  Pastor  Mason.  You 
did  not  mean  them  for  me;  but  they  were  sent  to  me. 
*  There  is  no  rest,  saith  my  God,  to  the  wicked.'  —  No  rest ! 
I  have  not  known  rest  since  I  was  a  boy.  —  *  Be  sure  your 
sin  shall  find  you  out.'  I  laughed  at  those  words  once ; 
they  laugh  at  me  now.  I  have  found  them  out  to  be  true, 
and  found  it  out  too  late.  Too  late  !  Is  it  too  late  ? 
If  these  words  be  true,  are  not  all  the  words  of  God 
equally  true  ?  '  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son  cleans- 
eth  us  from  all  sin.'  That  was  what  you  said.  Pastor  Ma- 
son, on  that  Sunday  morning  when  the  savages  were 
stealing  down  on  us.  It  gave  me  comfort  then ;  but,  ah 
me !  it  seems  to  give  me  no  comfort  now.  Oh  that  I  had 
resisted  the  tempter  when  \iQ  first  came  to  me  !  Strange  ! 
I  often  heard  this  said  long,  long  ago  ;  but  I  laughed  at  it, 
- —  not  in  scorn ;  no,  it  was  an  easy  indifference.  I  did  not 
believe  it  had  anything  to  do  with  me.  And  now,  I  sup- 
pose, if  I  were  to  stand  in  the  public  streets  and  cry  that 
I  had  been  mistaken,  with  all  the  fervor  of  a  bursting 
heart,  men  would  laugh  at  me  in  an  easy  way  —  as  I  did 
then. 

"  1  don't  fear  death,  I  have  often  faced  it,  and  I  don't 
remember  ever  feeling  afraid  of  death.    Yet  I  shrink  from 


336  GASCOYNE, 

death  now.  ^li}  is  this?  What  a  mystery  my  Thoughts 
and  feeUngs  are  to  me  !  I  know  not  what  to  think.  But 
it  will  soon  be  over;  for  I  feel  certain  that  I  shall  be 
doomed  to  die.     God  help  me  !  " 

Gascoync  again  became  silent.  When  he  had  remained 
thus  a  few  minutes,  his  attention  was  roused  by  the  sound 
of  footsteps  and  of  whispering  voices  close  under  his  win- 
dow. Presently  the  key  was  put  in  the  lock,  the  heavy 
bolt  shot  back,  and  the  door  creaked  on  its  hinges  as  it 
opened  slowly. 

Gascoyne  knew  by  the  sound  that  several  men  entered 
the  cell,  but,  as  they  carried  no  light,  he  could  not  tell  how 
many  there  were.  He  was  of  course  surprised  at  a  visit 
at  such  an  unusual  hour,  as  well  as  at  the  stealthy  manner 
in  which  his  visitors  entered ;  but,  having  made  up  his 
mind  to  submit  quietly  to  whatever  was  in  store  for  him, 
and  knowing  that  he  could  not  hope  for  much  tenderness 
at  the  hands  of  the  inhabitants  of  Sandy  Cove,  he  was  not 
greatly  disturbed.  Still,  he  would  not  have  been  human 
had  not  his  pulse  quickened  under  the  influence  of  a  strong 
desire  to  spring  up  and  defend  himself 

The  door  of  the  cell  was  shut  and  locked  as  quietly  as 
it  had  been  opened ;  then  followed  the  sound  of  footsteps 
crossing  the  floor. 

"  Is  that  you,  jailer  ?  "  demanded  Gascoyne. 

"  Yell  know  that  time  enough,"  answered  a  gruff  voice, 
that  was  not  unfamiliar  to  the  prisoner's  ear. 

The  others  who  Iiad  entered  along  with  this  man  did 
not  move  from  the  door,  —  at  least,  if  they  did  so,  there 
wa.^  no  sound  of  footsteps.  The  man  who  had  spoken 
went  to  the  window  and  spread  a  thick  cloth  over  it.  Gas- 
coyne could  see  this,  because  there  was  suflicient  light 
outside  to  make  the  arms  of  the  man  dimly  visible  as  ha 


THE  BANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  337 

vtaised  them  up  ts  accomplish  his  object  The  cell  was 
thus  rendered,  if  possible,  more  impenetrably  dark  than 
before. 

"  Now,  pirate,"  said  the  man,  turning  round  and  sud- 
denly flashing  a  dark  lantern  full  on  the  stern  face  of  the 
prisoner,  "  you  and  I  will  have  a  little  convarse  together 
—  by  ycr  leave  or  without  yer  leave.  In  case  there  might 
be  pryin'  eyes  about,  I've  closed  the  porthole,  d'ye  see." 

Gascoyne  listened  to  this  familiar  style  of  address  in 
surprise,  but  did  not  suffer  his  features  to  betray  any  emo- 
tion whatever.  The  lantern  which  the  seaman  (for  such 
he  evidently  was)  carried  in  his  hand  threw  a  strong  light 
wherever  its  front  was  turned,  but  left  every  other  part 
of  the  cell  in  partial  darkness.  The  reflected  light  was, 
however,  quite  suflicient  to  enable  the  prisoner  to  see  that 
his  visitor  was  a  short,  thick-set  man,  of  great  physical 
strength,  and  that  three  men  of  unusual  size  and  strength 
stood  against  the  wall,  in  the  deep  shadow  of  a  recess,  with 
their  straw  hats  pulled  very  much  over  their  eyes. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Gascoyne,"  began  the  seaman,  sitting  down 
on  the  edge  of  a  small  table  beside  the  low  pallet,  and 
raising  the  lantern  a  little,  while  he  gazed  earnestly  intc 
the  prisoner's  face,  "  I've  reason  to  believe  —  " 

"  Ha !  you  are  the  boatswain  of  the  Talisman ! "  ex- 
claimed Gascoyne,  as  the  light  reflected  from  his  own 
countenance  irradiated  that  of  Dick  Price,  whom,  of  course, 
Ije  had  seen  while  they  were  on  board  the  frigate  together. 

'-  No,  Mister  Pirate,"  said  Dick ;  "  I  am  not  the  bo's'n 
of  the  Talisman,  else  I  shouldn't  be  here  this  night.  I  wos 
the  bo's'n  of  that  unfortunate  frigate,  but  I  is  so  no  longer." 

Dick  said  this  in  a  melancholy  tone,  and  thereafter 
meditated  for  a  few  m(  ments  in  silence. 

"No,"  he  resumed,  with  a  heavy  sigh,  "  the  Talisman's 
22 


338  GASCOYITE, 

blow*d  up,  an'  her  bo  s'n's  out  on  the  spree,  so  to  speak, 
—  though  it  aint  a  cheerful  spree,  bf  no  meajis.  But  to 
come  bick  to  the  p'int  (w'ich  wos  wot  the  clergyman  said 
w'en  he'd  got  so  far  away  from  the  p'int  that  he  never  diu 
get  back  to  it),  as  I  wos  sayin,'  or  was  agoin'  to  say  w'en 
you  prewented  me,  I've  reason  to  b'lieve  you're  agoin'  to 
try  for  to  make  yer  escape." 

"  You  are  mistaken,  my  man,"  said  Gascoyne,  with  a 
sad  smile ;  "  nothing  is  further  from  my  thoughts." 

•'  r  don't  know  how  far  it's  from  yer  thoughts,"  said 
Dick,  sternly,  "  but  it's  pretty  close  to  your  intentions,  so 
I'm  told." 

"Indeed  you  are  mistaken,"  replied  Gascoyne.  "If 
Captain  Montague  has  sent  you  here  to  mount  guard,  he 
has  only  deprived  you  of  a  night's  rest  needlessly.  If  I 
had  intended  to  make  my  escape,  I  would  not  have  given 
myself  up." 

"  I  don't  know  that,  —  I'm  not  so  sure  o'  that,"  rejoined 
the  boatswain,  stoutly.  "You're  said  to  be  a  obstinate 
feller,  and  there's  no  sayin'  what  obstinate  fellers  wont  do  or 
will  do.  But  I  didn't  come  here  for  to  argify  the  question 
with  you,  Mister  Gasco}Tie.  Wot  I  com'd  here  for  wos  to 
do  my  duty  ;  so,  now,  I'm  agoin'  to  do  it." 

Gascoyne,  who  was  amused  in  spite  of  himself  by  the 
manner  of  the  man,  merely  smiled,  and  awaited  in  silence 
the  pleasure  of  his  eccentric  visitor. 

Dick  now  set  down  the  lantern,  went  to  the  door,  and  re- 
turned with  a  coil  of  stout  rope. 

"  You  see,"  observed  the  boatswain,  as  he  busied  him- 
celf  in  uncoiling  and  making  a  running  noose  on  the  rope, 
"  I'm  ordered  to  pre  went  you  from  carrj^in'  out  your  in- 
tentions —  wotiver  these  may  be  —  by  puttin'  a  coil  or 
two  o'  this  h<^re  rope  round  you.     Now,  wot   I've  got  to 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.         339 

ask  of  you  is,  Will  ye  submit  peaceable  like  to  hare  it 
done?"*^ 

"Surely,  this  is  heaping  unnecessaiy  indignity  upon 
me ! "  exclaimed  Gascoyne,  flushing  crimson  with  anger. 

"  It  may  be  unnecessary,  but  it's  got  to  be  done,"  re- 
turned Dick,  with  cool  decision,  as  he  placed  the  end  of  a 
knot  between  his  powerful  teeth,  and  drew  it  tight.  "  Be- 
sides, Mister  Gascoyne,  a  pirate  must  expect  indignities 
to  be  heaped  upon  him.  However,  I'll  heap  as  few  as 
possible  on  ye  in  the  discharge  of  my  duty." 

Gascoyne  had  started  to  his  feet;  but  he  sat  down, 
abashed  on  being  thus  reminded  of  his  deserts. 

"  True,"  said  he ;  "  true.     I  will  submit." 

He  added  in  his  mind,  "  I  deserve  this ; "  but  nothing 
more  escaped  his  lips,  while  he  stood  up  and  permitted  the 
boatswain  to  pass  the  cord  round  his  arms,  and  lash  them 
firmly  to  his  sides. 

Having  bound  him  in  a  peculiarly  tight  and  nautical 
manner,  Dick  once  more  went  to  his  accomplices  at  the 
door,  and  returned  with  a  hammer  and  chisel,  and  a  large 
stone.  The  latter  he  placed  on  the  table,  and,  directing 
Gascoyne  to  raise  his  arms  —  which  were  not  secured  be- 
low the  elbows  —  and  place  his  manacles  on  the  stone,  he 
cut  them  asunder  with  a  few  powerful  blows,  and  removed 
them. 

"  The  darbies  aint  o'  no  use,  you  see,  as  we've  got  you 
all  safe  with  the  ropes.  Now,  Mister  Gascoyne,  I'm  agoin' 
to  heap  one  more  indignity  on  ye.  I'm  sorry  to  do  it, 
d'ye  see ;  but  I'm  bound  for  to  obey  orders.  You'll  be  so 
good  as  to  sit  down  on  the  bed,  —  for  I  aint  quite  so  long  as 
you,  though  I  wont  say  that  I'm  not  about  as  broad,  — 
and  let  me  tie  this  napkin  over  yer  mouth." 

"  Why  I "  exclaimed  Gascoyne,  again  stjirting  and  look- 


810  6ASC0TNE, 

ing  fierc(ily  at  the  boatswain ;  "  this,  at  least,  must  be 
unnecessary.  I  have  said  that  I  am  wDling  to  submit  qui. 
ellv  to  whatever  the  law  condemns  me.  You  don't  take  rae 
for  a  woman  or  a  child,  that  will  be  apt  to  cry  out  when 
*iurt?" 

"  Certainly  not ;  but  as  I'm  goin'  to  take  ye  away  out 
o'  this  here  limbo,  it  is  needful  that  I  should  prewent  you 
from  lettin'  people  know  that  yer  goin'  on  yer  travels  ;  for 
I've  heerd  say  there's  some  o'  yer  friends  as  is  plottin'  \o 
help  you  to  escape." 

''  Have  I  not  said  already  that  I  do  not  wish  to  escape, 
and  therefore  will  not  take  advantage  of  any  opportunity 
afforded  rae  by  my  friends  ?  Friends  !  I  have  no  friends ! 
Even  those  whom  I  thought  were  my  friends  have  not 
been  near  my  prison  all  this  day." 

Gascoyne  said  this  bitterly,  and  in  great  anger. 

"  Hush !  "  exclaimed  Dick  ;  "  not  quite  so  loud,  Mister 
Pirate.  You  see  there  is  some  reason  in  my  puttin'  this 
on  your  mouth.  It'll  be  as  well  to  let  me  do  it  quietly, 
else  I'll  have  to  get  a  little  help." 

He  pointed  to  the  three  stout  men  who  stood  motionless 
and  silent  in  the  dark  recess. 

"  Oh,  it  was  cowardly  of  you  to  bind  my  arms  before 
you  told  me  this,"  said  Gascoyne,  with  flashing  eyes.  "  If 
my  hands  were  free  now  —  " 

He  checked  himself  by  a  powerful  effort,  and  crushed 
back  the  boastful  defiance  which  rose  to  his  lips. 

"  Now,  I'll  tell  ye  what  it  is.  Mister  Gascoyne,"  said  Dick 
Price,  "  I  do  believe  yer  not  such  a  bad  feller  as  they  say 
ye  are,  an'  I'm  disposed  to  be  marciful  to  ye.  If  ye'll 
give  me  your  word  of  honor  that  you'll  not  holler  out,  and 
that  you'll  go  with  us  peaceably,  and  do  wot  yer  bid,  I'll 
not  troub)e  you  with  the  najjkin,  nor  bind  ye  up  more  than 


THE  SAls^DA^-WOOD  IRADKR.  341 

IVe  done  akeady.  But  "  (here  Dick  spoke  in  tones  thnl 
could  not  be  misunderstood),  "  if  ye  wont  give  me  tlial 
promise,  I'll  gag  ye  and  bind  ye  neck  and  heels,  and  we'll 
carry  ye  out  o'  this,  shoulder  high.  Now,  wot  say  ye  to 
that  ?  " 

Gascoyne  had  calmed  his  feelings  while  the  boatswain 
was  speaking.  He  even  smiled  when  he  replied,  "  How 
can  you  ask  me  to  give  my  word  of  honor  ?  What  honor 
has  a  pirate  to  boast  of,  think  you  ?  " 

"  Not  much,  pr'aps,"  said  Dick ;  "  howsomdever,  I'll  be 
content  with  wot's  left  of  it ;  and  if  there  aint  none,  why, 
then,  give  us  yer  word.     It'll  do  as  well." 

"  After  all,  it  matters  little  what  is  done  with  me,"  said 
Gascoyne,  in  a  resigned  voice.  "  I  am  a  fool  to  resist 
thus.  You  need  not  fear  that  I  wiU  offer  any  further  re- 
sistance, my  man.  Do  your  duty,  whatever  that  may 
be." 

"  That  wont  do,"  said  Dick,  stoutly ;  "  ye  must  promise 
not  to  holler  out." 

"  I  promise,"  said  Gascoyne,  sternly.  "  Pray  cease  this 
trifling ;  and,  if  it  is  not  inconsistent  with  your  duty,  let  me 
know  where  I  am  to  be  taken  to." 

"  That's  just  wot  I'm  not  allowed  for  to  tell.  But  you'll 
find  it  out  in  the  coorse  of  time.  Now,  all  that  you've  got 
to  do  is  to  walk  by  my  side,  and  do  wot  I  tell  ye." 

The  prisoner  made  no  answer.  He  was  evidently  weary 
of  the  conversation,  and  his  thoughts  were  already  wan- 
dering on  other  subjects. 

The  door  was  now  unlocked  by  one  of  the  three  men 
who  stood  n<3ar  it.  As  its  hinges  creaked,  Dick  shut  the 
lantern,  and  threw  the  cell  at  once  into  total  darkness. 
Taking  hold  of  Gasoyne's  wrist  gently,  as  if  to  guide,  not 
to  force  him  away,  he  conducted  him  along  the  short  pass* 


342  GASCOYNE, 

age  Jiftt  led  to  the  outer  door  of  tlie  prison.  Thii  waa 
opened,  and  tlie  wliole  party  stood  in  the  open  air. 

Gascoyne  looked  with  feelings  of  curiosity  at  the  men 
who  surrounded  him ;  but  the  night  was  so  intensely  dark 
that  their  features  were  invisible.  He  could  just  discern 
the  outlines  of  their  figures,  which  were  enveloped  in 
large  cloaks.  He  was  on  the  point  of  speaking  to  them, 
when  he  remembered  his  promise  to  make  no  noise ;  so  he 
restrained  himself,  and  followed  his  guard  in  silence. 

Dick  and  another  man  walked  at  his  side,  the  rest  fol- 
lowed in  rear.  Leading  him  round  the  outskirts  of  the 
village,  towards  its  northern  extremity,  Gascoyne's  con- 
ductors soon  brought  him  to  the  beach,  at  a  retired  spot, 
where  was  a  small  bay.  Here  they  were  met  by  one 
whose  stature  proved  him  to  be  a  boy.  He  glided  up  to 
Dick,  who  said,  in  a  low  whisper : 

"  Is  aU  ready?" 

"  All  right,"  replied  the  boy,  in  a  whisper, 

"  The  ooman  aboard  ?  " 

"Ay." 

"  Now,  IMr.  Gascoyne,"  said  Dick,  pointing  to  a  large 
boat  floating  beside  the  rocks  on  which  they  stood,  "  you'll 
be  so  good  as  to  step  into  that  'ere  boat,  and  sit  down  be- 
side the  individual  you  see  a-sltting  in  the  stem-sheets." 

"  Have  you  authority  for  what  you  do  ?  "  asked  Gas- 
coyne, hesitating. 

"  I  have  power  to  enforce  wot  I  command,"  said  Dick, 
quietly.     "  Remember  yer  promise,  Mister  Pirate,  else  —  " 

Dick  finished  his  sentence  by  pointing  to  the  three  men 
who  stood  near  —  still  maintaining  a  sllenr  e  worthy  of 
Easter  i  mutes ;  and  Gascoyne,  feeling  that  he  was  com- 
pletely in  their  jjower,  stepped  quickly  into  the  boat,  and 
tat  down   beside  the  "  individual "  referred   to  by  Dick, 


THl    SAND.VL-WOOD  TRADER.  343 

who  was  so  completely  enveloped  in  the  folds  of  a  large 
cloak  as  to  defy  recognition.  But  the  pirate  captain  was 
too  much  occupied  with  his  own  conflicting  thoughts  and 
feelings  to  bestow  more  than  a  passing  glance  on  the  per- 
son who  sat  at  his  side.  Indeed,  it  was  not  surprising  that 
Gascoyne  was  greatly  perplexed  by  all  that  was  going  on 
at  that  time ;  for  he  could  not  satisfactorily  account  to 
himself  for  the  mystery  and  secrecy  which  his  guards 
chose  to  maintain.  If  they  were  legitimate  agents  of  the 
law,  why  these  mufiled  oars,  with  which  they  swept  the 
boat  across  the  lagoon,  through  the  gap  in  the  coral  reef, 
and  out  to  sea  ?  And  if  they  were  not  agents  of  the  law, 
who  were  they,  and  where  were  they  conveying  him  ? 

The  boat  was  a  large  one,  half-decked,  and  fitted  to 
stand  a  heavy  sea  and  rough  weather.  It  would  have 
moved  sluggishly  through  the  water  had  not  the  four  men 
who  pulled  the  oars  been  possessed  of  more  than  average 
strength.  As  soon  as  they  passed  the  barrier  reef,  the 
sails  were  hoisted,  and  Dick  took  the  helm.  The  breeze 
was  blowing  fresh  off  the  land,  and  the  water  rushed  past 
the  boat  as  she  cut  swiftly  out  to  sea,  leaving  a  track  of 
white  foam  behind  her.  For  a  few  minutes  the  mass  of 
the  island  was  dimly  seen  rising  like  a  huge  shade  on  the 
dark  sky,  but  soon  it  melted  away,  and  nothing  remained 
for  the  straining  eyes  to  rest  upon  save  the  boat  with  its 
silent  crew  and  the  curling  foam  on  the  black  sea. 

"  We've  got  him  safe  now,  lads,"  said  Dick  Price,  speak- 
ing for  the  first  time  that  night  in  unguarded  tones.  "  You'd 
better  do  the  deed.     The  sooner  it's  done  the  better." 

While  he  was  speaking,  one  of  the  three  men  opened 
a  large  clasp-knife,  arid  advanced  towards  Gascoyne 

"  Father,"  said  Henry,  cutting  the  rope  thai  bound  him, 
^  you  are  free  at  last !  " 


344  GASCOYNE, 

Gascoyne  started ;  but  before  he  had  time  to  utter  the 
exclamation  of  surprise  that  sprang  to  his  lips,  his  hand 
was  seized  by  the  muffled  figure  that  sat  at  his  side. 

"  O,  Gascoyne  !  forgive  us  —  forgive  me  I  "  said  Mary 
Stuart,  in  a  trembling  voice.  "  I  did,  indeed,  know  some- 
thing of  what  they  meant  to  do,  but  I  knew  nothing  of  the 
cruel  violence  that  these  bonds  —  " 

"  Violence  I  "  cried  Dick  Price.  "  I  put  it  to  yourself, 
Mister  Gascoyne,  if  I  didn't  treat  ye  as  if  ye  wos  a  lamb  ?  '* 

"  Wot  a  blissin  it  is  for  a  man  to  git  his  mouth  open 
agin,  and  let  his  breath  go  free,"  cried  Jo  Bumpus,  with  a 
deep  sigh.  "  Come,  Corrie,  give  us  a  cheer  —  hip !  hip ! 
hip!  —  " 

The  cheer  that  followed  was  stirring,  and  wonderfully 
harmonious ;  for  it  was  given  in  a  deep  bass  and  a  shrill 
treble,  with  an  intermediate  baritone  "  Ho !  "  from  Jakolu. 

"  I  know  it,  Mary  —  I  know  it,"  said  Gascoyne  ;  and 
there  was  a  slight  tremor  in  his  deep  voice  as  he  drew  hia 
wife  towards  him,  and  laid  her  head  upon  his  breast. 

"  You  have  never  done  me  an  evil  turn  —  you  have 
done  me  nothing  but  good  —  since  you  were  a  little  child. 
Heaven  bless  you,  Mary  ! " 

"  Now,  father,"  said  Henry,  "  I  suppose  you  have  no 
objection  to  make  your  escape  ?  " 

"  No  need  to  raise  that  question,  lad,"  said  Gascoyne, 
with  a  perplexed  smile.  "  1  am  not  quite  clear  as  to  what 
my  duty  is,  now  that  I  am  free  to  go  back  again  and  give 
myself  up." 

"  Go  back  !  —  free  !  "  exclaimed  John  Bumpus,  in  a  tone 
of  withering  sarcasm.  "So,  Mister  Gascoyne,  ye've  got 
sich  an  uncommon  cargo  o'  conceit  in  ye  yet,  that  jou 
actually  think  ye  could  go  back  without  so  much  as  saying, 
By  you  I  kave  ' " 


THE  S4N1  AL-WOOD    TRADER.  ^45 

While  Jo  was  speaking,  he  bared  to  the  shoulder  an  arm 
that  was  the  reverse  of  infantine,  and,  holding  it  up,  said, 
slowly : 

"  I've  often  had  a  sort  o'  desire,  d'ye  see,  to  try  whether 
this  bit  of  a  limb  or  the  one  that's  round  Mrs.  Stuart'? 
waist  is  the  strongest.  Now,  if  you  have  any  desire  to 
settle  this  question,  just  try  to  put,  to  shove,  this  boat's 
head  up  into  the  wind  —  that's  all ! " 

This  was  said  so  emphaatically  by  the  pugnacious  Bum- 
pus  that  his  companions  laughed,  and  Corrie  cheered  in 
admiration. 

"  You  see,"  observed  Henry,  "  you  need  not  give  your- 
self any  concern  as  to  this  point ;  you  have  no  option  in 
the  matter.'* 

"No,  not  a  bit  o'  poption  in  it  wotiver;  though  wot 
that  means  I  aint  rightly  sure,"  said  Dick  Price. 

"Perhaps  I  ought  to  exercise  my  parental  authority 
over  you,  Henry,"  said  "  Gascoyne,  and  command  you  tc 
steer  back  to  Sandy  Cove." 

"  But  we  wouldn't  let  him.  Mister  Pirate,"  said  Dick 
Price,  who,  now  that  his  difficult  duties  were  over,  was 
preparing  to  solace  himself  with  a  pipe  ;  an  example  that 
was  immediately  followed  by  Bumpus,  who  backed  his 
friend  by  adding : 

"  No  more  we  would." 

"  Nay,  then,  if  Henry  joins  me,"  said  Gascoyne,  "  I 
think  that  we  two  will  not  have  a  bad  chance  against  you 
three" 

"  Come,  that's  good :  so  /count  for  nothing ! "  exclaimed 
Corrie. 

"  Ha !  stick  up,  lad,"  observed  Bumpus.  "  The  niggers 
wot  you  pitched  into  at  the  mouth  o'  yon  cave  didn't  think 
that  —  ell !  didn't  they  not  ?  " 


346  GASCOYNE, 

"Well,  well;  if  Corrie  sides  with  yju,  I  feel  that  my 
wisest  course  is  to  submit.  And  now,  Henry,"  said  Gas 
coyne,  resuming  his  wonted  gravity  of  tone  and  demeanor, 
"  sit  down  here  and  let  me  know  where  we  are  going,  and 
what  you  mean  to  do.  It  is  natural  that  I  should  feel 
curious  on  these  points,  even  although  I  have  perfect  con- 
fidence in  you  all." 

Henry  obeyed,  and  their  voices  sank  into  low  tones  as 
they  mingled  in  earnest  converse  about  their  future  plans. 

Thus  did  Gasco}Tie,  with  his  family  and  friends,  leave 
Sandy  Cove  in  the  dead  of  that  dark  night,  and  sail  away 
over  the  wide  waste  of  the  great  Pacific  Ocean. 
*  #  *  *  * 

Reader,  our  tale  is  nearly  told.  Like  a  picture,  it  con- 
tains but  a  small  portion  of  the  career  of  those  who  have 
so  long  engaged  your  attention,  and,  I  would  fain  hope, 
your  sympathy.  The  life  of  man  may  be  comprehensively 
epitomized  almost  to  a  point,  or  expanded  out  ad  injin' 
itum.  He  was  born,  he  died,  is  its  lowest  term.  Its  high- 
est is  not  definable. 

Innumerable  tomes,  of  encyclopjedic  dimensions,  could 
not  contain,  much  less  exhaust,  an  account  of  all  that  was 
said  and  done,  and  all  that  might  be  said  about  what  was 
said  and  done,  by  our  ci-devant  sandal-wood  trader  and  his 
friends.  Yet  there  are  main  points,  amid  the  little  details 
of  their  career,  which  it  would  be  unpardonable  to  pass 
over  in  silence.  To  these  we  shall  briefly  refer  before 
letting  the  curtain  falL 

There  is  a  distant  isle  of  the  sea,  a  beautiful  spot,  an 
oceanic  gem,  which  has  been  reclaimed  by  the  word  of 
God  from  those  regions  that  have  been  justly  styled  "the 
dark  places  of  the  earth  "   We  will  not  mention  its  name ; 


THE  S.mDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  847 

,v^  Will  n  3t  even  indicate  its  whereabouts,  lest  we  should 
furnish  a  clue  to  the  unromantic  myrmidons  of  the  law, 
whose  inflexible  justice  is  only  equalled  by  their  pertinac- 
ity in  tracking  the  criminal  to  his  lair  ! 

On  this  beautiful  isle,  at  the  time  of  our  tale,  the 
churches  and  houses  of  Christian  men  had  begun  to  rise. 
The  natives  had  begun  to  cultivate  the  arts  of  civilization, 
and  to  appreciate,  in  some  degree,  the  inestimable  bless- 
ings of  Christianity.  The  plough  had  torn  up  the  virgin 
soil,  and  the  anchors  of  merchant-ships  had  begun  to  kiss 
the  strand.  The  crimes  peculiar  to  civilized  men  had  not 
yet  been  developed.  The  place  had  all  the  romance  and 
freshness  of  a  flourishing  infant  colony. 

Early  one  fine  morning,  a  half-decked  boat  rowed  into 
the  harbor  of  this  isle,  and  ran  alongside  the  httle  quay, 
where  the  few  natives  who  chanced  to  be  lounging  there 
were  filled  with  admiration  at  the  sight  of  five  stalwart 
men  who  leaped  upon  the  rocks,  an  active  lad  who  held  the 
boat  steady,  and  a  handsome  middle-aged  woman,  who  was 
assisted  to  land  with  much  care  by  the  tallest  of  her  five 
companions. 

There  were  a  few  small  bales  of  merchandize  in  the 
boat.  These  being  quickly  tossed  ashore,  one  of  the  na- 
tives was  asked  to  show  the  way  to  the  nearest  store, 
where  they  might  be  placed  in  safe  keeping. 

TLij  done,  the  largest  man  of  the  party,  who  was  clad 
in  the  rough  garments  of  a  merchant  captain,  offered  his 
arm  to  the  female,  who  was  evidently  his  wife,  and  went 
off  in  search  of  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  settlement, 
leaving  his  companions  to  look  after  the  boat  and  smoke 
their  pipes. 

The  handsome  stranger  introduced  himself  to  the  mag- 
istrate as  Mr.  Stuart:  stated  that  he  intended  t(;  setlle  ou 


348  GASCOYNE, 

the  island  as  a  general  merchant,  hjising  brought  a  fe\i 
bales  of  merchandize  with  him  ;  that  he  had  been  bred  an 
engineer  and  a  shipwright,  and  meant  also  to  work  at  hi3 
old  trade,  and  concluded  by  asking  for  advice  and  general 
information  in  regai'd  to  the  state  of  trade  on  the  island. 

After  having  obtained  all  the  information  on  these  sub- 
jects that  the  magistrate  could  give,  —  insomuch  that  that 
functionary  deemed  him  a  perfect  marvel  of  catechetical 
wisdom  and  agreeable  address,  —  the  stalwart  stranger 
proceeded  to  inquire  minutely  into  the  state  of  religion 
and  education  among  the  natives  and  settlers,  and  finally 
left  the  charmed  magistrate  rejoicing  in  the  belief  that  he 
was  a  most  intelligent  pliilanthropist,  and  would  be  an  in- 
estimable acquisition  to  the  settlement. 

A  small  tradinor-store  was  soon  built.  The  stran<Ter  was 
not  a  rich  man.  He  began  in  a  humble  way,  and  sought 
to  eke  out  his  subsistence  by  doing  the  ordinary  work  of  a 
Wright.  In  this  latter  occupation  he  was  ably  assisted  by 
his  stout  son,  Henry  ;  for  the  duties  of  the  store  were  at- 
tended to  chiefly  by  the  lad  Corrie,  superintended  by  Mr. 
Stuart. 

The  mysterious  strangers  were  a  source  of  much  gos- 
sip and  great  speculation,  of  course,  to  the  good  people  of 
Green  Isle,  as  we  shall  style  this  gem  of  the  Pacific,  in 
order  to  thwart  the  myrmidons  of  the  law  !  They  found 
them  so  reserved  and  uncommunicative,  however,  on  the 
subject  of  their  personal  afiairs,  that  the  most  curious  gos- 
sip in  the  settlement  at  last  gave  up  speculating  in  despair. 

In  other  respects,  the  new  family  were  noted  for  kind- 
liness and  urbanity.  Mrs.  Stuart,  especially,  became  an 
intimate  friend  of  the  missionary  who  dwelt  there,  and  one 
of  his  hardest  working  parishioners.  Mr.  Stuart  also  be- 
came his  friend;   ])ut  tbe  stern  gravity    of  coinitenance, 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  349 

and  reserved,  though  perfectly  well-bred  and  even  kindly 
manner  of  the  stranger  forbade  close  intimacy.  He  was  a 
most  regular  attendant  at  church,  not  only  on  Sundays,  but 
at  the  weekly-prayer  meetings  and  occasional  festivals,  and 
the  missionary  noticed  that  his  Bible  looked  as  if  it  were 
a  well-thumbed  one. 

At  first  the  two  seamen,  whom  people  soon  found  out, 
were  named  respectively  Jo  and  Dick,  wrought  in  the 
Wright's  workshop,  and  at  all  kinds  of  miscellaneous  jobs  ; 
besides  making  frequent  and  sometimes  long  voyages  in 
their  boat  to  the  neighboring  islands.  As  time  flew  by, 
things  seemed  to  prosper  with  the  merchant.  The  keel  of 
a  little  schooner  was  laid.  Father,  and  son,  and  seamen 
(as  well  as  the  native  servant,  who  was  called  Jako)  toiled 
It  this  vessel  incessantly  until  she  was  finished  —  then 
Henry  was  placed  in  command  of  her,  Jo  and  Dick  were 
appointed  first  and  second  mates,  two  or  three  natives  com- 
pleted the  crew,  and  she  went  to  sea  under  the  somewhat 
peculiar  name  of  the  Avenger. 

This  seemed  to  be  the  first  decided  advance  in  the  for- 
tunes of  the  new  family.  Business  increased  in  a  won- 
derful way.  The  Avenger  returned  again  and  again  to 
the  Green  Isle  laden  with  rich  and  varied  commodities  for 
the  successful  mercliant.  In  course  of  time  the  old  store 
was  taken  down,  and  a  new  one  built ;  the  Avenger  was 
gold,  and  a  large  brig  purchased  ;  the  rather  pretty  name 
of  which  —  "  Evening  Star  "  —  was  erased,  and  the  mys- 
terious word  Avenger  put  in  its  place.  Everything,  in 
short,  betokened  that  Mr.  Stuart  was  on  the  high  road  to 
fortune. 

But  there  were  some  mysteries  connected  with  the  mer- 
chant, which  sorely  puzzled  the  wisest  heads  in  the  place, 
and  which  would  have  puzzled  stiU  wiser  heads  had  they 


850  GASCOTXE, 

been  there.  Although  it  soon  became  quite  evident  lo  the 
meanest  capacity  that  Mr.  Stuart  was  the  richest  man  on 
the  island,  yet  he  and  his  family  continued  to  occupy  the 
poor,  shabby,  little,  ill-furnished  cottage  which  they  had 
erected  with  their  own  hands  when  they  first  landed  ;  and 
although  they  sold  the  finest  silks  and  brocades  to  the 
wives  and  daughters  of  the  other  wealthy  settlers,  they 
themselves  wore  only  the  plainest  and  most  sombre  fab- 
rics that  consisted  with  respectability. 

People  would  have  called  them  a  family  of  misers  but 
for  their  goodness  of  character  in  other  respects,  and  for 
the  undeniable  fact  that  they  were  by  far  the  most  liberal 
contributors  to  the  church  and  to  the  poor  —  not  only  in 
their  own  island,  but  in  all  the  other  islands  around  them. 

Another  thing  that  puzzled  the  merchantile  men  of  the 
place  extremely  was  the  manner  in  which  Mr.  Stuait  kept 
his  books  of  business.  They  soon  began  to  take  note  that 
he  kept  two  ledgers  and  two  distinct  sets  of  books  —  the 
one  set  small,  the  other  set  very  bulky.  Some  of  the 
more  audacious  among  his  customers  ventured  to  peep 
over  his  shoulder,  and  discovered  that  the  small  set  con- 
tained nothing  but  entries  of  boats  made,  and  repairs  to 
shipping  executed,  and  work  connected  exclusively  with 
the  shipwright  department  of  his  business  —  while  the 
large  books  contained  entries  of  those  silks,  and  sugars, 
and  teas,  and  spices,  etc.,  which  turned  so  much  gold  into 
bis  coffers. 

It  thus  became  evident  to  these  men  of  business  that 
the  merchant  kept  the  two  departments  quite  separate,  in 
order  to  ascertain  the  distinct  profits  on  each.  They  were 
the  more  amazed  at  this  when  they  considered  that  the 
shipwright  work  must  necessarily  be  a  mere  driblet,  alto- 
gether unwortliy  the  attention  of  one  so  wealthy.      But 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  351 

Ihat  which  amazed  them  most  of  all  was, that  such  a  man, 
in  r^iich  circumstances,  could  waste  his  time  m  doing  with 
his  own  hands  the  work  of  an  ordinary  mechanic  —  thus 
(as  they  concluded)  entailing  on  himself  the  necessity  of 
devoting  much  of  the  night  to  his  more  lucrative  concern. 
These  long-headed  men  of  business  little  knew  the  man. 
They  did  not  know  that  he  was  great  in  the  highest  sense 
of  the  term,  and  that,  among  other  elements  of  his  great- 
ness, he  possessed  the  power  of  seizing  the  little  things  — 
the  little  opportunities  —  of  life,  and  turning  them  to  the 
best  account ;  and  that  he  not  only  knew  what  should  be 
done,  and  how  to  do  it,  but  was  gifted  with  that  inflexible 
determination  of  purpose  to  carry  out  a  design,  without 
which  knowledge  and  talent  can  never  accomplish  great 
things.  The  merchant  did  not,  as  they  supposed,  work 
late  at  night.  He  measured  his  time,  and  measured  his 
work.  In  this  he  was  like  many  other  men  in  this  strug- 
gling world  ;  but  he  stuck  to  his  time  and  to  his  work,  in 
which  respect  he  resembled  the  great  few  whose  names 
stand  prominent  on  the  page  of  history. 

In  consequence  of  this,  Mr.  Stuart  wrought  with  success 
at  both  departments  of  his  business,  and  while  in  the  one 
he  coined  thousands,  in  the  other  he  earned  more  than  the 
average  wages  of  a  working-man. 

The  Avenger  was  erratic  and  uncertain  in  her  voyages. 
She  evidently  sailed  to  the  principal  islands  of  the  South 
Seas,  and  did  business  with  them  all.  From  one  of  these 
voyages,  Henry,  her  captain,  returned  with  a  wife,  —  a 
dark-haired,  dark-eyed,  lady-like  girl,  —  for  whom  he  built 
a  small  cottage  beside  his  father's,  and  left  her  there  while 
he  was  away  at  sea. 

It  was  observed  by  the  clerks  ia  Mr.  Stuiirt's  counting- 
room,  that  their  chief  accountant,  Mr.  Corric,  was  a  great 


352  GASCOTNF 

letter-writer,  —  that  when  one  letter  was  finished,  he  inra- 
riablj  began  another,  and  kept  it  by  him,  adding  sheet 
after  sheet  to  it  until  the  Avenger  returned  and  carried  it 
off.  Once  Mr.  Corrie  was  called  hurriedly  away  while  in 
the  act  of  addressing  one  of  these  epistles.  He  left  it  ly- 
ing on  his  desk,  and  a  small,  contemptible,  little  apprentice 
allowed  his  curiosity  so  far  to  get  the  better  of  him,  that 
he  looked  at  the  address,  and  informed  his  companions 
that  Mr.  Corrie's  correspondent  was  a  certain  Miss  Alice 
JMason  ! 

Of  course,  Mr.  Corrie  received  voluminous  replies  from 
this  mysterious  Alice ;  and,  if  one  might  judge  from  his 
expression  on  reading  these  epistles  (as  that  contemptible 
little  apprentice  did  judge),  the  course  of  Ms  love  ran 
smoother  than  usual ;  thus,  by  its  exceptionality,  proving 
the  truth  of  the  rule. 

Years  passed  away.  The  merchant's  head  became  gray, 
but  his  gigantic  frame  was  as  straight  and  his  step  as 
firm  as  ever.  His  wife,  strange  to  say,  looked  younger 
as  she  grew  older  !  It  seemed  as  if  she  were  recovering 
from  some  terrible  illness  that  had  made  her  prematurely 
old,  and  were  now  renewing  her  youth.  The  business 
prospered  to  such  an  extent  that,  by  becoming  altogether 
too  wonderful,  it  ceased  to  be  a  matter  of  v/onder  alto- 
gether to  the  merchants  of  the  Green  Isle.  They  regarded 
it  as  semi-miraculous,  —  the  most  unprecedented  case  of 
"  luck  "  that  had  ever  been  heard  of  in  the  annals  of  mer- 
cantile history. 

Cut  the  rich  merchant  still  dwelt  in  the  humble,  almost 
mean  cottage,  and  still  wrought  as  an  engineer  and  ship- 
wright with  Iiis  own  hands. 

In  the  little  cottage  beside  his  own  there  were  soon 
seen  (and  heard)  three  stout  children,  two  boys  and  a  girl, 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD   TRADER.  353 

the  former  being  named  respectively  Gascoyne  and  Henry, 
the  latter  Mary.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  these  were 
immense  favorites  with  the  eccentric  merchant. 

During  all  this  time  there  was  a  firm  in  Liverpool 
which  received  periodical  remittances  of  money  from  an 
unknown  source.  The  cashier  of  that  firm,  a  fat  little 
man,  with  a  face  like  a  dumpling  and  a  nose  like  a  cherry, 
lived,  as  it  were,  in  a  state  of  perpetual  amazement  in  re- 
gard to  these  remittances.  They  came  regularly,  from 
apparently  nowhere,  were  acknowledged  to  nobody,  and 
amounted,  in  the  course  of  time,  to  many  thousands.  This 
firm  had,  some  years  previously,  lost  a  fine  vessel.  She 
was  named  the  Brilliant;  had  sailed  for  the  South  Sea 
Islands  with  a  rich  cargo,  and  was  never  more  heard  of. 
The  fat  cashier  knew  the  loss  sustained  by  this  vessel  to  a 
penny.  He  had  prepared  and  calculated  all  the  papers 
and  sent  duplicates  on  board  ;  and  as  he  had  a  stake  in 
the  venture,  he  never  forgot  the  amount  of  the  loss  sus- 
tained. 

One  day  the  firm  received  a  remittance  from  the  un- 
known, with  a  note  to  the  following  efiect  at  the  foot  of  it : 
"  This  is  the  last  remittance  on  account  of  the  Brilliant. 
The  value  of  the  cargo,  including  compound  interest,  and 
the  estimated  value  6f  the  vessel,  have  now  been  repaid  to 
the  owners." 

The  fat  cashier  was  thunderstruck !  He  rushed  to  his 
ledger,  examined  the  account,  calculated  the  interest, 
summed  up  the  whole,  and  found  it  correct.  He  went 
home  to  bed,  and  fell  sound  asleep  in  amazement ;  awoke 
in  amazement ;  went  back  to  the  office  in  amazement ; 
worked  on  day  after  day  in  amazement ;  lived,  and  event- 
ually died,  in  a  state  of  unrelieved  amazement  in  regard 
to  this  incomprehensible  transaction  ! 
23 


354  GASCOYXE, 

About  the  same  time  ihat  this  occurred,  Mr  Stuart  en- 
tered his  poor  cottage,  and  finding  his  wife  there,  said : 

"  Mary,  1  have  sent  off  the  last  remittance  to-day.  1 
have  made  amends  for  that  evil  deed.  It  has  cost  me  a 
long  and  hard  struggle  to  realize  the  thousands  of  pounds 
hat  were  requisite ;  for  some  of  the  goods  had  got  dam- 
aged by  damp  in  the  cavern  of  the  Isle  of  Palms  ;  but  the 
profits  of  my  engineering  and  shipwright  business  have  in- 
creased of  late,  and  I  have  managed  to  square  it  all  off, 
with  interest.  And  now,  -Mary,  I  can  do  no  more.  If  I 
knew  of  any  others  who  have  suffered  at  my  hands,  I 
would  restore  what  I  took  tenfold ;  but  1  know  of  none. 
It  therefore  remains  that  I.  should  work  this  business  for 
the  good  of  mankind.  Of  all  the  thousands  that  have  passed 
through  my  hands,  I  have  not  used  one  penny.  You  know 
that  I  have  always  kept  the  business  that  has  grown  out  of 
the  labors  of  my  own  hands  distinct  from  that  which  has 
been  reared  on  the  stolen  goods.  I  have  lived  and  sup- 
ported you  by  it,  and  now,  thi'ough  God's  blessing,  it  has 
increased  to  such  an  extent  that  I  think  we  may  afford  to 
build  a  somewhat  more  commodious  house,  and  furnish  it  a 
little  better. 

"  As  for  the  mercantile  business,  it  must  go  on.  It  has 
prospered  and  still  prospers.  Many  mouths  are  dependent 
on  it  for  daily  bread.  I  will  continue  to  manage  it,  but 
every  penny  of  profit  shall  go  in  charity  as  long  as  I  live. 
After  that,  Henry  may  do  with  it  as  he  pleases.  He  has 
contributed  largely  to  make  it  what  it  is,  and  deserves  to 
reap  where  he  has  sown  so  diligently.  Do  you  think  I 
am  right  in  all  this,  Mary  ?  " 

We  need  scarcely  remark  that  Mary  did  think  it  all  right; 
for  she  and  Gascoyne  had  no  differences  of  opinion  7iow. 

Soon  after  this,  Corrie  went  off  on  a  1  )ng  voyage  in  the 


THE  SANDAL-WOOD  TRADER.  355 

Avenger.  The  vessel  touched  at  San  Francisco,  and,  while 
there,  some  remarkable  scenes  took  place  between  Jo  Bum- 
pus  and  a  good-looking  woman  whom  he  called  Susan. 
This  female  ultimately  went  on  board  the  Avenger,  and 
sailed  in  her  for  Green  Isle. 

On  the  way  thither  they  touched  at  one  of  the  first  of 
the  South  Sea  Islands  that  they  came  in  sight  of,  where 
scenes  of  the  most  unprecedented  description  took  plaee 
between  Corrie  and  a  bluff  old  gentleman  named  Ole 
Thorwald,  and  a  sweet,  blue-eyed,  fair-haired  maiden 
Damed  Alice  Mason! 

Strange  to  say,  this  fair  girl  agreed  to  become  a  passen- 
ger in  the  Avenger ;  and,  still  more  strange  to  say,  her  fa- 
ther and  Ole  Thorwald  agreed  to  accompany  her ;  also  an 
ancient  piece  of  animated  door-matting  called  Toozle,  and 
a  black  woman  named  Poopy,  whose  single  observation  in 
regard  to  every  event  in  sublunary  history  was,  "  Hee  I 
hee!" 

On  reaching  Green  Isle,  Corrie  and  Alice  were  married, 
and  on  the  same  day  Bumpus  and  Susan  were  also  united. 
There  was  great  rejoicing  on  the  occasion.  Ole  Thorwald 
and  Dick  Price  distinguished  themselves  by  dancing  an 
impromptu  and  maniacal  pas  de  deux  at  the  double  wed* 
ding! 

Of  Captain  Montague's  future  career  we  know  nothing. 
He  may  have  been  killed  in  the  wars  of  his  country,  or  he 
may  have  become  an  admiral  in  the  British  navy,  for  all 
we  know  to  the  contrary.  One  thing  only  we  are  certain 
of,  and  that  is,  that  he  sailed  for  England,  in  the  pirate 
schooner,  and  seemed  by  no  means  to  regret  the  escape  of 
the  pirate  captain ! 

Years  rolled  away.  The  head  of  Gascoyne  became 
silvery  white ;  but  Time  seemed   impotent  to  subdue  the 


356  GASCOTNE. 

vigor  of  his  stalwart  frame,  or  destroy  the  music  of  his 
deep  bass  voice.  He  was  the  idol  of  numerous  grandchil- 
dren as  well  as  of  a  large  circle  of  juveniles,  who,  without 
regard  to  whether  they  had  or  had  not  a  right  to  do  so, 
styled  him  "  Grandfather." 

Little  did  these  youngsters  think,  as  they  clambered 
over  his  huge  frame,  and  listened  with  breathless  attention 
to  his  wild  stories  of  the  sea,  that  "  grandfather  "  had  once 
been  the  celebrated  and  much-dreaded  Durward,  the  pi- 
rate! 

Nothing  could  induce  Gascoyne  to  take  a  prominent  part 
in  the  public  affairs  of  his  chosen  home ;  but  he  did  at 
tempt  to  teach  a  class  of  the  very  smallest  boys  and  girl" 
In  the  missionary's  Sunday  school,  and  he  came  in  time  U 
take  special  delight  in  this  work. 

He  was  never  so  happy  as  when  telling  to  these  little 
ones  the  story  of  redeeming  love.  In  the  choice  of  sub- 
jects for  his  class,  he  was  somewhat  peculiar  as  well  as  in  his 
manner  of  treating  them.  He  was  particularly  emphatic 
and  earnest,  used  to  fill  his  little  hearers  with  awe,  when 
he  spoke  of  the  danger  of  sin  and  the  importance  of  resist- 
inpr  its  beginninc^s.  But  his  two  favorite  themes  of  all  — 
and  those  which  dwelt  Inost  frequently  on  his  lips  —  were, 
"  God  is  love,"  and,  "  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law." 


Ballantyna 

BI88 

Gasooyne 

• 

1902 

MH)'S77(y 


3 ' 

v.. 


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